Rajya Sabha paralysed on Day 5 of Monsoon Session over NEET paper leak
Synopsis
For the fifth straight day, the Rajya Sabha could not conduct a single piece of legislative business — blocked entirely by Opposition demands over the NEET paper leak. With a Delhi Police lathi-charge on student protesters now added to the flashpoints, the government's refusal to allow a debate is turning a paper-leak crisis into a full-blown parliamentary crisis.
Key Takeaways
The Rajya Sabha was disrupted for the fifth consecutive day of the Monsoon Session on Friday, 26 July 2024 .
Opposition members demanded a full debate on the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan .
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of a Delhi Police lathi-charge on protesting students, triggering the first adjournment of the day.
Only papers were laid and committee reports tabled; no substantive legislative business was transacted.
The NDA government has not yet agreed to a comprehensive debate on the NEET irregularities, which have reportedly affected lakhs of students nationwide.
The Rajya Sabha failed to transact any substantive business on Friday, 26 July 2024 — the fifth consecutive day of disruptions during the Monsoon Session — as Opposition members pressed relentlessly for a full debate on the NEET paper leak scandal and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The House saw repeated adjournments, with proceedings limited to the laying of papers and tabling of committee reports.
How the Day Unfolded
The session opened at 11 am with Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan reading a message paying homage to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during the Kargil War. After the customary laying of papers and committee reports, the House attempted to move to regular business — but the attempt quickly unravelled.
Leader of Opposition and Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of a Delhi Police lathi-charge on protesting students that occurred the previous Monday. His intervention immediately triggered an uproar from the Opposition benches, forcing Chairman Radhakrishnan to adjourn the House until 12 noon. Subsequent sittings fared no better, with noisy protests preventing any legislative work from proceeding.
Papers Tabled Amid the Chaos
Despite the disruptions, several ministers managed to lay important papers on the Table of the House. Jitin Prasada tabled documents from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ram Nath Thakur from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, L. Murugan from the Ministry of Rural Development, and V. Somanna on behalf of Ravneet Singh from the Ministry of Railways. Members Ghanshyam Tewari and Akhilesh Prasad Singh also presented key Action Taken Reports from the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee and the Public Accounts Committee.
The NEET Controversy at the Centre
The NEET paper leak has emerged as the dominant flashpoint of the Monsoon Session, with the Opposition demanding a comprehensive debate on the irregularities that have reportedly affected lakhs of students nationwide. The NDA government has so far not conceded to a full-fledged discussion on the issue, despite five straight days of pressure. Critics argue that the government's reluctance to engage signals an attempt to shield ministerial accountability from parliamentary scrutiny.
This comes amid a broader crisis of confidence in India's centrally administered medical entrance examinations, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) facing intense scrutiny over its conduct of NEET-UG 2024. The Delhi Police action against protesting students has added a law-and-order dimension to what began as an examination integrity issue.
What Comes Next
With the session still ongoing, both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition are expected to dig in further. The government faces mounting pressure to either allow a structured debate or risk prolonged legislative paralysis. The Opposition, meanwhile, has shown no sign of relenting until its demands — a debate and the Education Minister's resignation — are addressed.
Point of View
While the Opposition's blanket disruption strategy risks public sympathy if it is seen as blocking unrelated legislation. The deeper issue is structural: NEET has exposed cracks in centralised examination governance that neither side has a clean record on. The lathi-charge on students adds a civil liberties dimension that could widen the coalition of critics beyond the usual partisan lines. Parliament's inability to debate this is itself a story.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Rajya Sabha been disrupted during the Monsoon Session 2024?
The Rajya Sabha has faced repeated disruptions because Opposition members are demanding a full parliamentary debate on the NEET paper leak scandal and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The impasse has now stretched to five consecutive days of the Monsoon Session.
What is the NEET paper leak controversy?
The NEET paper leak refers to alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET-UG 2024, India's centrally administered medical entrance examination, which has reportedly affected lakhs of students. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has faced intense scrutiny over the episode.
What did Mallikarjun Kharge raise in the Rajya Sabha on Friday?
Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of a Delhi Police lathi-charge on students protesting against the NEET paper leak, which occurred the previous Monday. His intervention triggered an immediate uproar and forced the first adjournment of the day.
Has the government agreed to a NEET debate in Parliament?
As of Day 5 of the Monsoon Session, the NDA government had not conceded to a comprehensive discussion on the NEET irregularities in the Rajya Sabha, despite five days of sustained Opposition pressure.
What business was transacted in the Rajya Sabha despite the disruptions?
Several ministers laid papers on the Table of the House, including from the Ministries of Commerce, Agriculture, Rural Development, and Railways. Members also presented Action Taken Reports from key parliamentary committees, but no substantive legislative business was conducted.
