Parliament adjourns sine die, bringing an end to a tumultuous monsoon session

The Parliament was adjourned sine die on Thursday, concluding a stormy Monsoon Session marked by repeated disruptions, protests and heated political exchanges.

The session, which began on July 20 and was scheduled to run through August 13, saw 19 sittings, with the government pushing through a string of legislative measures even as proceedings were repeatedly disrupted by Opposition protests.

NEET-UG row and CJP protests dominate session

The biggest political flashpoint was the NEET-UG controversy, with the Opposition repeatedly demanding a debate on alleged examination irregularities and the subsequent resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.


The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which emerged from a satirical campaign and evolved into a student-led protest movement, made Pradhan's resignation a central demand. Its agitation spilled into the streets around Parliament, including the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march, which coincided with the opening of the session.

Inside Parliament, Opposition MPs repeatedly raised the NEET-UG issue and demanded Pradhan's resignation. The government maintained that it was ready for a detailed debate, but insisted that the Opposition should allow the House to function without preconditions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said a debate should proceed without attaching the minister's resignation to it.

The standoff persisted despite the government's stated willingness to discuss the paper leak, with Opposition MPs demanding accountability from the Education Ministry. The Congress also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement in Parliament and apologise to students.

The political pressure eventually culminated in Pradhan's resignation on July 25, amid the continuing protests. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said the government had acted after irregularities emerged in the May 3 NEET-UG examination, including handing the investigation to the CBI, cancelling the exam and announcing a re-examination.

Government pushes through 11 bills

Despite the disruptions, Parliament passed 10 bills through both Houses during the session, while the Lok Sabha separately passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.

The legislation passed by both Houses included the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was introduced amid the NEET-UG controversy and was discussed for more than 17 hours across the two Houses.

Parliament also passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026, the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 12 and got the Upper House's nod on Thursday.

The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, was also not among the measures passed by both Houses during the session.

The legislative business came against a backdrop of repeated adjournments and political confrontation, with the government accusing the Opposition of obstructing parliamentary functioning and the Opposition arguing that disruption was necessary to force debate on issues including NEET-UG and student protests.