The government on Monday (July 27, 2026) introduced in the Lok Sabha a Bill providing for harsher penalties and time-bound investigations into examination paper leaks amid a huge uproar by the Opposition who demanded a discussion on the police action on protesting students in the country.

The stalemate is though likely to end on Tuesday with Speaker Om Birla brokering a truce between the treasury and the Opposition benches Monday afternoon, sources said. The floor leaders of both NDA and INDIA bloc had been in touch since the morning.

Six hours have been allocated for the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026, and 91 amendments have been moved by Lok Sabha members cutting across party lines, Mr. Birla announced in the House earlier.

The Bill seeks to amend the anti-paper leak law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and ₹50 lakh fine. It comes days after nationwide student protests over the NEET paper leak that led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister.

The proposed legislation, which seeks to amend an existing law, was first promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a midnight Instagram post last week in a bid to quell the students’ protest in Jantar Mantar.

The Bill was introduced by Minister of State for PMO and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh even as the Opposition protested and sloganeered over the police crackdown on students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led July 20 protest march to Parliament as well as in some states like West Bengal and Bihar.

The Opposition, which had been protesting since 11 a.m., when the House was convened, was unrelenting and did not let the Bill be taken up for discussion and passage despite repeated appeals from Mr. Birla as well as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Mr. Rijiju said several members, including those from the Opposition, were prepared to participate in the debate but the Congress and “some of its friends” were causing disruptions and not allowing a debate. At 2 p.m., however, the Speaker said both ruling and Opposition sides should try and arrive at a decision by 5 p.m. till when the House was adjourned.

Senior Congress leaders are understood to have met the Speaker after this and agreed to the discussion being taken up on Tuesday.

“All political parties have agreed to discuss the anti-paper leak bill on Tuesday. Following Om Birla’s initiative and sustained dialogue, floor leaders of political parties have agreed to commence discussion on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026,” sources said.

Opposition sources said they were now looking to widen the offensive by targeting the government over the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case and ethanol-blended fuel.

With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election due in early 2027, the Samajwadi Party is seeking to use the Ram temple issue to make inroads among the BJP’s core support base of Ram devotees, while the Congress has held over 50 press conferences demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the alleged donation theft.

“We shouldn’t allow the BJP to hijack our religion. We are all very proud Hindus and not political Hindus like them,” a senior Congress leader told The Hindu.

The Opposition plans to highlight concerns over ethanol-blended fuel, which it believes resonate with the middle class, another key BJP constituency.

And with the CJP taking limelight for spearheading the Gen-Z protests and the government appearing intent on sidelining Opposition parties, these parties do not want to give much elbow room to the government.