NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 PM on Tuesday after debate started on Public Examinations Amendment Bill introduced by Minister Jitendra Singh a day earlier as the anti-paper leak bill. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day as an irate Opposition insisted on the government’s response on police action on the student protesters in Delhi and other parts of the country.
Speaker Om Birla had announced in the Lok Sabha that he has allocated six hours for the debate on the Bill and if necessary, more time can be given based on the sense of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition parties requested for two more hours (a total of eight hours), but further the government is willing to agree for a discussion of 10 hours in the Lok Sabha.
During the debate on the anti-paper leak bill, Congress member Gaurav gogoi sought an answer from Home Minister Amit Shah on the police “brutality” during the student protests. He wanted to know who gave orders on use of the pellet guns and AK-47 guns.
To this, Speaker Om Birla asks members to stick to the discussion on the Bill.
Document reveals RAF used pellet guns on protesters in Delhi on orders from Delhi Police, contradicting police claims and raising concerns over excessive force.
Gogoi, referring to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s statement, said former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who stepped down over NEET-related irregularities, is just a facade of the education department. Him being removed does not restore any faith in the department, for the students or us, Gogoi said.
Gogoi highlights the shortcoming of the National Testing Agency (NTA), questioning the government over the irregularities. He says the sanctioned capacity of the NTA is 34, then “how come 47 officials were sacked?”
He also goes on to question why the NTA Chairman is being “protected”. He alleges that the person in the role is “special” for the RSS, for whom the education department is key.
Listing a series of paper leaks that occurred prior to 2014, MoS Jitendra Singh said there was no comprehensive law to tackle the cases, adding that Prime Minister Modi and the government “finished an unfinished task”.
He detailed out the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, stating the amendments are being brought in to ensure “speedy justice”.
The Congress party has lined up top leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, and Gaurav Gogoi, to address the Lok Sabha during the discussion on ‘The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026’, according to INDIA bloc sources.
“We are neither against the paper leak Bill nor discussion on it; we fully support any move to strengthen exams, but we need an answer on pellet guns and excessive use of force against protesting students,” an INDIA bloc source stated. The stance indicates a willing yet conditional approach from Opposition ranks to engage in the debate, provided the government addresses safety and accountability concerns surrounding student demonstrations.
Congress MP Pawan Khera said that the Opposition has been repeated urging Home Minister Amit Shah to come to the Parliament and make a statement on the use of pellet guns and AK-47s on young people protesting against the NEET paper ‘leak’ last week.
“As I mentioned, we have been raising our voices on this for several days, but the government is acting with arrogance. What is the problem with the Home Minister coming and responding to this? What is the issue with him making a statement? What is the problem with the Prime Minister apologising?” he said.
