Parliament concluded a stormy day of the Monsoon Session by passing the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, even as repeated Opposition protests disrupted proceedings in both Houses.

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• Parliament approved the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, commonly known as the Anti-Paper Leak Bill, after its passage in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Bill now awaits Presidential assent.
• The Anti-Paper Leak Bill introduces stricter punishments, higher financial penalties, time-bound investigations, and Special Fast Track Courts to curb paper leaks, organised cheating, impersonation, and technology-enabled examination fraud.
• Parliament also passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which amends the 1971 Act to make the intentional insult of the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
• During the debate, the government argued that stronger legal and institutional mechanisms were essential to restore public confidence in competitive examinations, while Opposition parties questioned whether the amendments adequately addressed systemic shortcomings in examination administration.
• Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the timing of the legislation, stating that it came after repeated examination controversies had already affected lakhs of students, while Manoj Jha called for structural reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA).
• The Vande Mataram amendment generated contrasting political reactions. The government described it as a measure to protect India’s national heritage, while some Opposition leaders cautioned against politicising the national song and others raised concerns regarding constitutional and religious freedoms.
• Parliamentary proceedings witnessed repeated disruptions as Opposition members demanded a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding allegations of police action against student protesters. Slogan shouting led to multiple adjournments in both Houses.
• Apart from the two Bills, Members also raised issues relating to student protests, teacher demonstrations in West Bengal, the functioning of the National Testing Agency, alleged Ram Mandir donation irregularities, and other political matters, reflecting the contentious nature of the ongoing Monsoon Session.