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The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party will hold its weekly 'Mangal Milan' meeting here on Monday, at 9:30 AM at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium in the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi.
In a significant political development, the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has been invited to attend the alliance meeting for the first time. The NCPI comprises breakaway parliamentarians who recently extended their support to the ruling NDA coalition. The meeting, scheduled to be held at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium at the Parliament Library Building (PLB) at 9:30 am comes after the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition members, forcing the House to be adjourned till 2 pm. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen the legal framework against paper leaks and examination malpractices through seven major amendments to the 2024 Act. It provides for time-bound investigations and trials, Special Fast-Track Courts, Special Task Forces, Special Public Prosecutors, enhanced punishments, higher financial penalties and a streamlined appeals mechanism. The NDA has lined up several young Members of Parliament to participate in the four-hour discussion on the Bill, including BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Tejasvi Surya. Other speakers are expected to include JDU's Alok Kumar Suman, TDP's Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde, NCP's Sunil Tatkare, Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel, LJP (Ram Vilas)'s Arun Bharti, along with allies Sharmila Sarkar and Mitali Bagh. The meeting assumes significance as the Opposition has continued to disrupt Parliament, demanding accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged police action during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' protest and questioning the effectiveness of the proposed legislation. At the previous NDA Parliamentary Party 'Mangal Milan' meeting on July 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the government "stands with the students" and stressed that paper leaks were a matter of national concern that should not be politicised. Addressing reporters after that meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Prime Minister had called for strict action against those involved in examination irregularities in consultation with legal experts and reiterated that protecting students' interests remained the government's priority. He also highlighted the government's focus on farmers' welfare while discussing recently signed Free Trade Agreements with various countries. (ANI)
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