Parliament Passes Anti-Paper Leak Bill as Lok Sabha Prepares to Increase Supreme Court Judge Strength

The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, via a voice vote, with the Rajya Sabha expected to consider and pass the legislation on Thursday. The bill introduces stricter measures to curb exam paper leaks. The passage followed a two-day debate marked by acrimonious exchanges and sloganeering, during which the Opposition accused the government of ordering police brutality against students during an action on July 20. Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that the Bill reflects the government's openness to incorporate constructive inputs and strengthen the law.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. Moved by Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the bill seeks to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex court from 34 to 38 judges. Additionally, the Rajya Sabha is set to consider the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill 2026, which aims to improve payment systems and speed up dispute resolution for small businesses.

The Opposition, specifically the INDIA bloc, is seeking a discussion on alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala submitted a formal notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the matter, while the Samajwadi Party staged protests in the Parliament House complex on Wednesday.

Outlets of a center lean focused heavily on the technical details of the legislation and described the parliamentary atmosphere as stormy. In contrast, the outlet with a center-left lean emphasized the Opposition's efforts to raise the temple donation issue and highlighted attacks by Rahul Gandhi against the government and the RSS regarding student protests.