NEW DELHI — Opposition parties repeatedly disrupted proceedings in India's Lok Sabha on Tuesday as they demanded an immediate discussion on alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination, forcing multiple adjournments and limiting legislative business during the second day of Parliament's monsoon session.
As Question Hour began, opposition lawmakers entered the Well of the House, raising slogans over the alleged NEET paper leak and police action against students who had protested in New Delhi a day earlier. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed for order and said members would be given an opportunity to raise their concerns in accordance with parliamentary rules, but the protests continued, leading to repeated adjournments before the House was adjourned for the day.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed similar disruptions. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue of the reported police action against student demonstrators and alleged examination irregularities. His remarks triggered protests from treasury bench members, prompting the Chair to suspend proceedings temporarily before further adjournments followed.
Opposition parties have pressed the government to hold a full parliamentary discussion on the alleged examination irregularities and the handling of student protests, arguing that the matter affects the future of millions of candidates. Government ministers have maintained that parliamentary business should proceed in accordance with established rules despite the protests.
The disruptions came amid wider nationwide scrutiny of India's public examination system following allegations surrounding the 2026 NEET examination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for a "foolproof" examination system, saying the government had taken immediate steps including ordering re-examinations where necessary and pursuing investigations into alleged paper leaks. He also urged political parties to conduct discussions in Parliament through facts and established procedures.
The monsoon session opened on Monday with similar scenes as opposition members protested over the alleged NEET paper leak alongside other issues, resulting in repeated adjournments in both Houses and little legislative work being completed.
By Tuesday afternoon, repeated appeals from the presiding officers had failed to restore order, and both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the remainder of the day. No announcement was made regarding any special debate on the NEET issue beyond the next scheduled sitting.
