New Delhi, Jul 27: The Centre on Monday introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha amid noisy protests by Opposition members over alleged police excesses during the July 20 demonstrations at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

However, all parties are likely to begin discussion on the bill on Tuesday after Monday’s slogeneering by opposition member and multiple adjournments of the Lok Sabha.

The Bill, introduced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, seeks to strengthen the anti-paper leak law by increasing the punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks.

The proposed amendments raise the jail term from the existing three to five years to five to 10 years, while increasing the maximum fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

The draft legislation was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced tougher measures in response to nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned shortly after the Bill was introduced following a voice vote.

Speaker Om Birla has allotted six hours for discussion on the legislation, with the possibility of extending the debate if required.

Parliament resumed on a stormy note as Opposition parties continued to protest over the police crackdown on demonstrators during the July 20 protest.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) warned that it could resume its agitation, alleging that the government had violated its assurance that no legal action would be taken against peaceful protesters.

In a post on X addressed to Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that “hundreds of students” had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while many others were being harassed or kept under surveillance in Delhi and other states. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs against protesters, the release of detained students, and a written assurance that no fresh cases would be filed, failing which the party would be “forced to sit on protest again.”

Separately, Sonam Wangchuk, speaking at Rajghat after being discharged from the hospital, said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “just the beginning” and expressed hope that the ongoing discussions would lead to meaningful reforms in the country’s education system.

Wangchuk welcomed the proposed amendment to the Public Examinations Act, saying it should be thoroughly debated before implementation.

He also stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and urged authorities not to take action against those participating in non-violent demonstrations, while adding that the law should deal firmly with those acting with malicious intent.

New Delhi, Jul 27: The first hearing in the designated court to deal with the NEET paper leak case was adjourned on Monday after no one appeared on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Bail pleas of two accused, Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal, were listed for hearing before Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga.

“None appears on behalf of the state till 10.45 am to argue on the bail application,” the judge said.

She noted the submissions of the counsel of the accused that the matter be adjourned to August 3 as he had to argue a matter in the Rohini district courts and that he was unable to wait any longer.

Adjourning the matter to August 3, the judge directed the “director of prosecution to depute a public prosecutor in the present court”.

The special judge took charge of the designated court to deal with criminal cases arising from paper leaks and the use of other unfair means in public examinations on Saturday.

Earlier on July 23, the Delhi High Court had issued a notification, saying that Judicial Officer Baliga’s court would function as a “Specially Designated Fast Track Court” to try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 and connected offences with immediate effect.

The notification was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that fast-track courts would be set up to swiftly deal with cases of paper leaks.

Earlier on Friday, Special Judge Ajay Gupta, who was initially hearing the NEET paper leak case, had extended the judicial custody of all 13 accused till August 6 while dismissing the bail plea of accused paediatrician Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, saying it is prima facie clear from the probe that he was “one of the active conspirators of an organised paper leak gang”.

On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.

A re-exam was then held on June 21.

New Delhi, Jul 27: Gold prices rebounded by Rs 2,440 to Rs 1.49 lakh per 10 grams while silver prices climbed Rs 5,300 to Rs 2.3 lakh per kg in the national capital on Monday following strong trends in global markets.

Gold of 99.9 per cent purity jumped Rs 2,440 to Rs 1,49,640 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes), according to the All India Sarafa Association. The metal traded at Rs 1,47,200 per 10 grams in the previous session.

Silver prices also rebounded by Rs 5,300 to Rs 2,30,000 per kg (inclusive of all taxes) from Friday’s closing level of Rs 2,24,700 per kg.

Traders said both precious metals rebounded after two consecutive sessions of losses amid easing inflation concerns as crude oil prices retreated, boosting investor sentiment.

“Gold gained on Monday as easing tensions in West Asia triggered a sharp decline in crude oil prices, easing inflation concerns, while a weak US dollar and lower Treasury bond yields provided further support for bullion,” said Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst – Commodities at HDFC Securities.

He, however, added that gains in the domestic market remained limited as the Indian rupee strengthened against the US dollar.

In the global markets, spot gold gained USD 42.13, or 1.04 per cent, to USD 4,095.30 per ounce, while silver rose 1.47 per cent to USD 59.04 per ounce.

“Spot gold hovered near USD 4,100 per ounce on Monday, while silver extended gains to USD 59 per ounce in the international markets,” Kaynat Chainwala, AVP Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said.

She said the retreat in crude oil prices after a temporary pause in US-Iran strikes eased inflation concerns that had been fuelling expectations of a tight monetary policy, providing relief to bullion.

Pranav Mer, Senior Vice President, EBG – Commodity & Currency Research, JM Financial Services Ltd, said investors will track developments in West Asia, inflation data from the Eurozone, Japan and the United States.

Besides, GDP number releases, US Consumer Confidence, weekly jobless claims, and monetary policy decisions by the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Japan for further direction on bullion prices, he added.

New Delhi, Jul 27: The stalemate in the Lok Sabha is likely to end on Tuesday as Speaker Om Birla has convinced leaders of all political parties to take up discussion on the Bill to amend the anti-paper leak law, parliamentary sources said.

“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,” a source said.

The Centre on Monday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the anti-paper leaks law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and Rs 50 lakh fine, days after nationwide student protests over the NEET fiasco that led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister.

The proposed legislation was introduced by Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh amidst protests and sloganeering by the Opposition demanding a response from the government over the police crackdown on students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led July 20 protest march to Parliament.

However, no discussion could take place on the Bill as opposition refused to relent from its demand of seeking response from the government over police action on the protesters at Jantar Mantar here and other parts of the country.

Since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, the opposition has been raking up the NEET paper leak issue due to which no legislative business could be taken up so far, except for the introduction of two Bills.