LS Speaker Says Exam Bill Debate Can Be Extended By Six Hours

The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 5 p.m. on Monday after repeated disruptions caused by Opposition members protesting during proceedings over the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The adjournment marked the third interruption of the day as slogan-shouting and placard displays prevented the House from taking up a detailed discussion on the proposed anti-paper leak legislation. The Bill was introduced earlier in the day amid continuous protests from Opposition benches.

Appealing for order in the House, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged members to maintain parliamentary decorum and participate in a meaningful debate instead of disrupting proceedings. He assured MPs that the government was prepared to allocate ample time for discussion and said the debate could be extended by six hours or even longer if required. Birla emphasized that Parliament was the appropriate forum for members to express their views and said students across the country expected constructive action on examination reforms.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju welcomed the Speaker's offer to extend the debate and questioned why the Opposition was preventing discussion despite several members having already submitted amendment notices on the Bill. He pointed out that the large number of proposed amendments reflected the willingness of MPs to participate in the debate and argued that continued disruptions would only delay consideration of legislation aimed at preventing examination malpractices and paper leaks.

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Rijiju also said that students nationwide were closely following the parliamentary proceedings and warned that postponing discussion on the legislation would send the wrong message about Parliament's commitment to addressing issues affecting the country's examination system. He appealed to the Congress and other Opposition parties to allow the debate to proceed, reiterating that the government was willing to discuss the Bill for as long as the Speaker deemed necessary.

Before adjourning the House, Speaker Birla urged leaders of all political parties to engage in discussions and build consensus so that the Bill could be taken up later in the day. He announced an additional three-hour window for consultations and expressed hope that an agreement would be reached before the House reconvened at 5 p.m. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen measures against unfair practices in public examinations and comes amid heightened concerns over recent paper leak incidents across the country.

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