Lok Sabha: Centre offers discussion on student protests

The government offered to discuss student protests in Lok Sabha, with Home Minister Amit Shah set to respond. Amid opposition sloganeering, the House passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, without debate before being adjourned for the day

New Delhi: The government on Monday offered to hold a discussion on student protests in Lok Sabha, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying in the House that Home Minister Amit Shah would respond to the debate.

Later, the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, was passed without debate amid continued sloganeering by opposition MPs and the House was adjourned for the day.

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Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju urged the Opposition not to walk out when Shah responds, saying the government was ready to give a detailed reply on the issue.

“The Congress party and Rahul Gandhi have been demanding a statement from Amit Shah from day one. The government is ready to hold a discussion on the issue of students and give a detailed response,” Rijiju said.

“I request the Congress party not to walk out during his statement. It should not be scared,” he said.

Opposition MPs trooped into the well carrying placards and raised slogans as proceedings continued to be disrupted.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair when the House reassembled at 2 pm, said the government had agreed to the opposition’s demand and urged members to restore order in the House.

“If the parliamentary affairs minister is saying that the home minister is ready to respond, then restore order in the House. This is the last week of the Monsoon session. Who is responsible for the washout over the last three weeks of the session? You are not participating in the debate,” Pal said.

Amid the protests, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, and moved it for consideration and passage.

The Bill seeks to establish a commission for the selection of chairpersons and members of various tribunals, with the aim of improving efficiency and ensuring independence, transparency and uniformity in their qualifications and appointments.

Meghwal said the number of tribunals had increased over time and the government had been working to rationalise the system since 2015.

“It is a part of the same process to usher in a modern tribunal system,” he said, adding that the jurisdiction of the tribunals would remain unchanged.

The proposed framework would promote the ease of justice and facilitate the adoption of global best practices, Meghwal said.

While he was speaking, opposition MPs continued with intense sloganeering, and the Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha without a debate amid the din.

The Bill follows a Supreme Court direction on the need for a framework for the selection of chairpersons and members of various tribunals. The proposed commission is aimed at streamlining the appointment process and bringing greater transparency and uniformity to the appointment of tribunal members.

The House was adjourned for the day after that. The Lok Sabha has so far cleared nine Bills, of which debate could be held only on two. The others were passed amid din without a discussion.