The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed an acrimonious debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 as the government defended the tougher law as necessary deterrent while the Opposition dismissed it as a belated attempt to salvage the Centre’s credibility after the NEET paper leak controversy.
The week-long stalemate in the Lok Sabha seems to be headed for a breakthrough, with the Opposition agreeing to participate in the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026, on Tuesday, after a day of hard bargaining between the government and Opposition.
Tuesday witnessed unprecedented drama, dharna and detentions as the Opposition upped the ante against the government over the crackdown on student protesters.
A day before the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, holds his second interaction with students at Dehradun, the Congress on Thursday (July 16, 2026) urged educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast unto death. In a post on X, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal assured Mr. Wangchuk that the Congress would carry out its fight against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Congress party in Punjab has familiar faces from almost all castes, making it a strong challenger in the 2027 Assembly polls in Punjab. The expectation of coming back to power with a majority has led several leaders into lobbying mode to be better placed today so that they will have leverage to demand a greater role after victory. This has led to intense factionalism in the state.
On June 30, 2026, twenty-three Opposition political parties and one Independent Member of Parliament sent a joint memorandum to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Surya Kant, in New Delhi to demand judicial intervention against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process
The Congress will hold press conferences across the country on Thursday as part of its nationwide campaign “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Students’ Echo), aimed at highlighting issues faced by students, including alleged examination irregularities, rising education costs and concerns over India’s education system.
In a major setback for the Congress, its Jharkhand Rajya Sabha candidate Pranav Jha lost the election despite the ruling INDIA bloc enjoying a comfortable numerical strength in the Assembly. Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secured a return to the Upper House with the backing of the BJP. The result triggered allegations of cross-voting within the INDIA bloc.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used a major youth outreach programme in Rajasthan’s Kota on Wednesday to launch a sharp critique of India’s education system, arguing that students and their families are spending enormous amounts on competitive examinations while receiving little assurance of quality education or employment in return.
In a major push for women’s empowerment and social inclusion, the Kerala government has announced that women and transgender individuals can travel free of cost on state-run buses starting June 15, 2026. Named the ‘Priyadarshini’ scheme, the initiative fulfills a key election promise made under the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s ‘Indira Guarantee’ welfare programme.
