Live: Discussion on exam paper bill resumes; Rahul Gandhi to speak shortly

PARLIAMENT LIVEParliament Monsoon Session Live Updates: After a heated Day 1 debate on the anti-paper leak bill, proceedings intensified as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the new amendments and mocked the members of the high-powered national task force announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reform India’s examination system. Today, all eyes will be on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is scheduled to speak around 12:30 pm. On the first day of debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was prepared to extend the discussion on the anti-paper leak legislation in the Lok Sabha to 10 hours. The House resumed proceedings at 2 pm on Tuesday. At the end of the day’s proceedings, Rijiju accused Opposition parties of “politicising” the issue of paper leaks in competitive examinations. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024....Read MoreJul 29, 2026 12:22 ISTMonsoon Session Live: Discussion on exam paper bill resumes; Rahul Gandhi to speak shortlyThe discussion on the anti-paper leak bill, which began on Tuesday, resumed shortly after noon. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to speak on the issue at 12:30 pm.Jul 29, 2026 12:17 ISTParliament Monsoon Session: Registration of births and deaths bill introduced in LSThe Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday amid uproar by Opposition members. The Bill seeks to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. The bill seeks to make the delayed registration of births and deaths more stringent by requiring approval from a Judicial Magistrate First Class for registrations made more than two years after the event. Jul 29, 2026 12:11 ISTParliament Live: Lok Sabha Speaker pulls up Opposition MPs over uproar ahead of exam bill debateLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday pulled up Opposition members over repeated disruptions in the House ahead of the discussion on anti paper-leak bill. He urged Opposition MPs to maintain order and allow Parliament to function smoothly. The remarks came as discussion on the bill will resume at 12:30 pm and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to speak. Jul 29, 2026 12:06 ISTMonsoon Session Live: Lok Sabha resumes after being adjourned for 1 hourLok Sabha proceedings resumed at noon after it was adjourned for an hour amid constant sloganeering by Opposition MPs. Opposition members are continuing to raise slogans in the House.Jul 29, 2026 11:59 ISTParliament Live: Kiren Rijiju meets Amit Shah in ParliamentParliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Home Minister Amit Shah on the premises of Parliament. It is not known what the two spoke during the meeting.Jul 29, 2026 11:43 ISTIrresponsible: BJP MP hits back at Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi over targeting Pralhad JoshiBJP MP Dinesh Sharma hit back at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over their remarks on Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, calling the allegations “irresponsible” and demanding proof. Sharma said Joshi had led an “unblemished life” and that restraint in speech was his hallmark. He said those making such allegations without factual basis should either provide evidence or issue a public apology. He also accused the Congress of focusing on creating controversy instead of debating the anti-paper leak amendment bill, which seeks to address cheating and examination irregularities. Sharma alleged that the Opposition had shown little concern for the legislation aimed at protecting students’ futures and claimed that cheating had become an “industry” during the Congress-led governments. Jul 29, 2026 11:29 ISTStudents must be ready for police action: Nadda hits back at Kharge, defends crackdownJP Nadda said students who choose to engage in activism must be prepared for police action, recalling that he himself was arrested twice and picked up from his classroom during the Emergency. He said the police were within their rights to take necessary steps to bring the law-and-order situation under control, and accused the Opposition of politicising the police crackdown on student protesters. Nadda was responding to Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who had said those responsible for using “brutal force” against student protesters were still roaming freely. Jul 29, 2026 11:23 ISTParliament Live: Kharge, Nadda spar over police crackdown on CJP protests in Rajya SabhaA war of words broke out in the Rajya Sabha between Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Union Health Minister JP Nadda over the police crackdown on CJP protests. Kharge said people do not belong to the BJP and accused the ruling party of making democracy unsafe. Hitting back, Nadda recalled his own experience of being arrested during a student protest during the Emergency, saying he was picked up from his classroom. Jul 29, 2026 11:09 ISTParliament Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha adjourned till noon; Rahul Gandhi to take on govt at 12.30 pmThe Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 pm and will resume for Day 2 of the debate on the anti-paper leak bill. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to speak at around 12.30 pm, when he is expected to take on the Narendra Modi government over the issue.Jul 29, 2026 10:26 ISTParliament Live: Birth certificates may become key document for school, jobs, driving licenceThe government is working to digitise birth and death records across the country and integrate them into a centralised database, according to the provisions proposed in the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The proposed central database will be linked with key identity and welfare databases, including Aadhaar, electoral rolls, ration cards and passports. The government also proposes to make the birth certificate the primary document for several important purposes. It could be used for school admissions, obtaining a driving licence and applying for government jobs. The proposed system is also aimed at making birth and death certificates easier for citizens to access, with certificates available online. The move is part of a wider effort to create a digitally integrated system for maintaining and accessing records of births and deaths across the country. Jul 29, 2026 10:23 ISTAmit Shah to introduce Birth, Death Registration Bill: What is it about?Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha today. The proposed legislation seeks to tighten the process for delayed registration of births and deaths and introduce additional safeguards against fraudulent registrations. Under the proposed rules, if the registration is delayed by "one to two years," approval from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or Executive Magistrate will be mandatory. For registrations delayed by "more than two years," the matter will have to be taken to court, with an order from a First-Class Judicial Magistrate required before the registration can be completed. The government also proposes detailed verification by officials before approving any delayed registration, with the aim of preventing fraud and ensuring the authenticity of birth and death records. Jul 29, 2026 10:16 ISTParliament Monsoon Session: SC judges bill up for passage as Opposition moves resolution against ordinanceThe government is set to move the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, for consideration and passage, with Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal scheduled to introduce it. At the same time, Opposition MPs have moved a statutory resolution opposing the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance promulgated by the President in May 2026. The resolution has been backed by TMC MP Sougata Ray, RSP MP NK Premachandran and Congress MP Dean Kuriakose. Jul 29, 2026 09:21 ISTParliament Live: Manish Tewari seeks Lok Sabha debate on curbing mass defectionsCongress MP Manish Tewari has submitted an Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha seeking a discussion on the contours of a new anti-defection law. The proposed legislation, he said, should curb mass political defections driven by opportunism and without genuine ideological or policy differences, while also protecting space for honest and critical dissent within and outside Parliament and state legislatures. Jul 29, 2026 09:20 ISTParliament Session 2026: Congress seeks Lok Sabha debate on Karnataka’s ‘non-compliance’ over CauveryCongress whip Manickam Tagore has submitted an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking an immediate discussion on the Karnataka government’s alleged “non-compliance” with the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. The notice also seeks to raise the resulting agrarian crisis in Tamil Nadu, amid concerns over the impact of the Cauvery water dispute on farmers in the state. Jul 29, 2026 08:58 ISTMonsoon Session Live: Congerss MP moves notice to discuss audit of Ram Mandir TrustCongress MP Syed Naseer Hussain submitted an Adjournment Motion Notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion on "the need for the Government to institute a comprehensive independent audit into the accounts and functioning of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust." The notice urges the Centre to order an independent review of the Trust's financial accounts and administrative functioning, making it a matter of urgent public importance for discussion in the House. Jul 29, 2026 08:45 ISTParliament Live: Congress MP seeks Rajya Sabah debate on Cauvery water disputeCongress MP Praveen Chakravarthy submitted an Adjournment Motion notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking a discussion on what he described as the "misleading reply" given by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in the House on July 27 regarding the Cauvery water dispute. The notice also seeks deliberation on the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's recent directive ordering Karnataka to immediately release 4 TMC ft of water. Jul 29, 2026 08:07 ISTPriyanka, Rahul should drink cow urine: Anurag Thakur’s digUnion Minister Anurag Thakur hit back at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her remarks about IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti during the Lok Sabha debate, accusing her of making light of serious issues and trying to deflect attention from the failures of past Congress governments. Thakur defended Kamakoti, describing him as “one of India’s great scientists and professors” and said there was nothing wrong if he was associated with the RSS. He also took a swipe at Priyanka, saying he had once viewed her as different from her brother, Rahul Gandhi, but now believed the two were “alike” and “on the same path”. Taking his attack further, Thakur suggested that the Gandhi siblings should “consume cow urine”, claiming it could help their brains function properly. Jul 29, 2026 07:43 ISTParliament Monsoon Session: Was Priyanka Gandhi justified in calling IIT Madras director a cow urine expert?Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has taken aim at the Centre’s newly formed expert panel tasked with recommending reforms to India’s examination system, questioning the credentials and composition of its members. Criticising the panel during the Lok Sabha debate, Priyanka pointed to its members’ varied backgrounds, describing them as including “a former IB chief, the owner of an IT company, and even an expert on gau mutra.” Find out more Jul 29, 2026 07:36 IST‘Delulu’, ‘FOMO’, ‘MIA’: Gen Z slang takes over Lok Sabha paper leak debateThe Lok Sabha’s debate on the anti-paper leak amendment Bill on Tuesday took an unexpected turn as MPs across party lines brought Gen Z slang such as “delulu”, “FOMO”, “MIA” and “clock it” into their speeches. The unusual vocabulary, more familiar on social media than in Parliament, featured prominently during the marathon debate on the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and proposed reforms to India’s examination system. The use of youth-centric slang soon became a talking point, with MPs deploying the terms to take digs at political rivals. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule objected to the trend, saying Parliament was discussing an education crisis, “not the Oxford online dictionary”. Read More Jul 29, 2026 07:34 ISTParliament Session 2026: Punishment won’t fix paper leaks, system must change, says Shashi TharoorCongress MP Shashi Tharoor said he was finally able to speak on the Paper Leaks Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha at 10:40 pm, but had to drastically cut short his remarks after being allotted only nine minutes. Tharoor said his speech was repeatedly interrupted by the Chair ringing the bell, with his microphone eventually being switched off. He argued that while the Bill proposes tougher punishment for those who “sell our children’s dreams”, the priority should be to reform the examination system and prevent paper leaks from occurring in the first place. He said he also suggested several measures to address systemic shortcomings and reiterated his concerns to the media outside Parliament, as the House was largely empty by the time he spoke. Load More