New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday, July 28, resumed its proceedings at 2 pm amid uproar by the opposition, who were relentless in seeking a response from the government on excessive police force used on students during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests in Delhi and across India.
Discussion has commenced in the Lok Sabha on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
As the proceedings began, Congress MP KC Venugopal objected to the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the House during the discussion on a “very important” Bill.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Congress and other opposition parties for not speaking on the anti-paper leak bill, saying the discussion should have focused on its merits.
“I listened carefully. All the BJP and NDA MPs spoke about the bill. But none of the Congress or opposition members spoke about the bill,” he said.
“When a bill is discussed, people should speak about its provisions on merit. They should debate the procedures and the stringent legal measures it brings to prevent examination-related irregularities. Such a discussion would be beneficial,” he said.
Videos from different angles won’t win back Gen Z’s trust, Priyanka slams Modi’s IG video
05:22 pm: After the disturbance settled down, Priyanka Gandhi was once again given the floor when she said if the Centre wants to win back the younger generation’s trust, making new videos with new angles won’t help.
“Aap Gen Z ka bharosa waapas jeetna chahte hain toh naye naye angle se apne phone se naye naye video banane se nahi hoga. Pradhan mantri ko camera ka angle nahi, dil ka angle badalna padega (If you want to win back the trust of Gen Z, simply creating new videos from fresh angles on your phone won’t work. The Prime Minister needs to change not the camera angle, but the angle of his heart),” she said.
Uproar after Priyanka says PM selected Education Minister who supported release of rapists
Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed in Parliament like a superstar: Priyanka slams NDA
05:09 pm: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s address was interrupted when she mentioned that after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, he was welcomed like a superstar in the Parliament on Sunday, July 26.
“Since the 2024 anti-paper leak bill was passed, there has not been one conviction,” Gandhi said. “Exam system has failed, 152 paper leaks in last 10 years but not one mafia punished.”
DMK MP Maran calls for scrapping NEET
04:12 pm: DMK’s Thiru Dayanidhi Maran, when given the floor in the Lok Sabha, reiterated his party’s demand for scrapping NEET, arguing that the proposed amendments to the anti-paper leak law do not address what he described as the fundamental problem with the medical entrance examination.
He questioned why the Centre is sidelining the southern states, insisting that they are Indians too.
“Enough is enough, ban NEET, abolish NEET. Do not go for ‘One India, One Examination’. Our strength comes from our diversity,” he said, alleging that 26 students in Tamil Nadu had died by suicide till date over the examination.
‘Millennials and Gen Z don’t believe in slogans; they ask for accountability’
03:49 pm: Abhishek Banerjee continued his speech in the Lok Sabha and pointed out that the youth of this generation do not fear competition but corruption. “When young people stop trusting the system, the democracy itself will become weaker,” he said.
“This bill cannot wash away 12 years of incompetence,” he said.
Banerjee said the government had mastered the art of changing laws whenever its governance fails.
Ruckus erupts when Banerjee rises to speak
03:39 pm: Ruckus erupted in the Lok Sabha as TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee rose to speak during the debate on the Anti-Paper Leak Bill amendment. Banerjee said the party supports the bill but will not refrain from holding the government accountable over the NEET issue.
Abhishek Banerjee notes loopholes in Bill
03:38 pm: While Jitendra Singh pointed out the exam discrepancies during the Congress era, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee listed out numerous exam paper leaks across years, with many still pending investigations.
He questioned why students were being treated as a law and order problem and force was being used against the youth.
“Every generation writes its own report card. The report card the current generation is writing will only have one word written on it. Failed,” Banerjee said.
Attack on students no less than that of Emergency era: SP
03:32 pm: Before Akhilesh Yadav could finish his statements, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju attacked the opposition by bringing up the Emergency.
Rijiju questioned if it was better to introduce a law to curb paper leaks or impose the Emergency, to which the SP chief said, “The force used on students was no less than what happened in the Emergency.”
Govt does not want Dalit, poor to be able to move forward, says Akhilesh
03:12 pm: Samajwadi Party founder Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the government has been steadily shutting down primary schools since they do not want the Dalits and the poor students to move forward.
BJP MP says Modi ‘clocked it’ by bringing bill to legislation
02:54 pm: Given the floor to speak on the bill, Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj reiterated PM Modi’s statement that paper leaks are a grave sin. Emphasising that this stance was not mere rhetoric but a reflection of the government’s true intent, she noted that the bill was introduced in Parliament to address the issue head-on.
Swaraj said if she were to borrow Gen Z’s slang, then Modi “clocked it” with bringing the bill to legislation.
Anti-Paper Leak Bill just an eyewash: Congress MP
02:40 pm: Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi slammed the Centre over the Anti-Paper Leak Bill, calling it an eyewash as the real issue was not being acknowledged.
He said, “The government is not questioning why the bill was being introduced.” Gogoi claimed that the anti-paper leak law reflected the government’s failure to deal with the examination irregularities.
Stating that students are compelled to hit the streets, Gogoi urged the Centre to understand their pain.
He accused the Centre of being unserious about education reforms, claiming that Modi was asking ministers to focus on Instagram.
MoS Jitendra Singh begins address
02:15 pm: Ending a week-long logjam, the Lok Sabha began a discussion on the anti-paper leak Bill, with Union minister Jitendra Singh describing it as a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to safeguard the welfare of students and the youth
It was the first of its kind in the history of India, said Singh while addressing Parliament, adding that it was a milestone legislation in the history of Indian Parliament.
Jitendra Singh listed several exams that were brought to national attention over time due to paper leaks and other discrepancies, saying the 2026 NEET paper leak was not the first time.
“Incidents of paper leaks have taken place in various states ruled by different parties… The anti-paper leak Bill is a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to safeguard the welfare of students and youth. The amendment… (is being) brought to make the law more stringent,” Singh said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government must be commended for introducing what he called a milestone legislation. “Modiji should be complimented. The governement finished an unfinished task that you should’ve completed,” Singh said, attacking the Congress party.
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