The Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day on Monday (July 27, 2026) for the sixth day in the monsoon session without taking up any business. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was listed for consideration and passing. But it could not be taken up as the Opposition demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police action against protesting students.

In the afternoon, when the House met at 2 p.m., Deputy Speaker Harivansh invited Minister of State for Home Nitayanand Rai to move the bill that provides the status of National Anthem for National Song. Opposition members Pramod Tiwari, John Brittas and Tiruchi Siva raised objections. While Mr. Tiwari and Mr. Brittas demanded a discussion on police atrocities, Mr. Siva said the Bill was against the Constitution.

The Deputy Chairman, however, denied the “point of order” raised by the members and Mr. Rai moved the Bill for consideration of the House amid din. Opposition members were heard shouting slogans demanding that Mr. Shah must come to the House and apologise for police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak. Mr. Harivansh adjourned the House till 3 p.m.

‘Youth are watching’

At 3 p.m. too, protests continued and the House was adjourned till 5.15 p.m.

At 5.15 p.m., the Deputy Chairman invited Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. He said the government was ready for discussions on the issue of paper leaks and requested the Congress to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, for discussion. “Such an important Bill has been brought forward. We appealed to the Congress yesterday, we have been appealing to them since this morning, but they are not agreeing,” he said, adding that the Congress claimed outside the House that no debates were allowed in Parliament. “We are requesting them to take up the discussion,” Mr. Rijiju added. “What kind of a method is this? We fold our hands and request you to speak, but you do not allow us to speak,” he said.

“Please do not do this. The youth of the country are watching. Everyone wants to hear the discussion on this Bill. If you (the Opposition) behave like this, then you will be punished. We have given assurance to the youth that we will discuss (the Bill). The Prime Minister took such a step, and you are not allowing us to discuss it. This is not right. I condemn this,” Mr. Rijiju said.

Countering this, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition did not shy away from discussion. “But before discussion, the Home Minister should come and make a statement,” he said. When Mr. Kharge was speaking, BJP members raised their voices, and soon after that the House got adjourned for the day.

Earlier during the day, the Upper House witnessed two adjournments at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Opposition had moved several adjournment motions under Rule 267, and Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan disallowed them. The Opposition members raised protests, forcing the Chairman to adjourn the House. “It has never happened in the history of India that boys were beaten… and they were gagged by pellets,” Mr. Kharge said in the morning.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) hit out at the Centre over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2026 paper leak and called on students to take to the streets over the issue. The day was marked by demonstrations by several student outfits against the National Testing Agency (NTA) outside Shastri Bhawan, which houses the Union Education Ministry headquarters.

Also read: NEET-UG 2026 cancelled highlights on May 12, 2026

The former Chief Minister accused the Centre of jeopardising students’ future. “Those who cannot conduct even one examination properly without leaks, how will they run a government?” he said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.

“I stand with all those [affected] children. I want to tell the students that they will have to come out on the streets. This government understands only the language of agitation. Kejriwal is with you,” said the AAP chief.

Claiming that NEET papers have been leaked thrice earlier — in 2017, 2021, and 2024 — Mr. Kejriwal alleged collusion at a “very high level”.

“Papers do not get leaked on their own. There is connivance and political patronage. I want to know where the people who leaked the 2017 paper are today. Were they punished? Were those who leaked the 2021 paper punished? Those who leaked the 2024 paper are all out on bail,” he said.

Seeking accountability

Students’ outfits, including the Left-aligned Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), held protests outside demanding accountability from the NTA. Several SFI members were detained and taken away by the police to a location on the outskirts of Delhi.

Aishe Ghosh, the State secretary of SFI (Delhi), said the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam followed a pattern of recurring failures under the NTA. “Since the NTA has taken over the responsibility of conducting national competitive exams such as CUET, NET and NEET, paper leaks have become a norm,” she said. She called for the NTA to be scrapped and for the government to take over the responsibility of conducting examinations. Ms. Ghosh said her organisation will launch a nationwide agitation over the issue in the coming days.

‘Students scared’

Mehina Fatima, joint secretary of the SFI, alleged a nexus between the NTA and private coaching centres. “The [affected] students aren’t here because they are too scared that if they protest against the government, they might not be allowed to retake the exam,” she alleged.

NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a ban on the NTA. “Today’s decision to cancel NEET is a victory of student power and of the voice of lakhs of aspirants across the country,” he said.