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“Sabka sarvanash,” says Mamata Banerjee on third day of her anti-citizenship law protest

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued her protest march for the third consecutive day against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the newly amended Citizenship Act that was passed last week

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MAMATA BANERJEE

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued her protest march for the third consecutive day against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the newly amended Citizenship Act that was passed last week.

At today’s rally, Banerjee took a jibe at Home Minister Amit Shah saying you have done “sabka sarvanash (destroyed all).

“You (Amit Shah) are the Home Minister of the country. You aren’t only a BJP leader, please maintain peace in the country. You have not done ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas‘ (Development for all) but ‘sabka sarvanash‘,” she said during her march that started from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade in Kolkata.


She also questioned why the BJP was demanding birth certificates to determine an individual’s citizenship. “You say no one will lose citizenship. But now you say no PAN, no Aadhaar, nothing will work… Then what will work? An amulet from the BJP? The BJP has become a washing machine,” she added.

Thousands of protesters, including students, women, and folk artistes joined her. A Baul song was also performed by the folk artists as a sign of cultural protest during the rally.

Mamata Banerjee, along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has refused to implement the citizenship law in her state.

The Trinamool chief has already stalled the process of National Population Register, which is considered the first step before rolling out the citizens’ list across the country that’s meant to weed out illegal migrants.

West Bengal Governor Jadgeep Dhankar accused Banerjee of fueling violence against the law instead of controlling the protests happening across the state.

After the State Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary ignored the Governor’s summons, he tweeted Mamata Banerjee to personally update him on the situation.

In her response to Governor Dhankhar, Banerjee expressed shock over his constant criticism of her government.

“I am really sorry to see your frequent tweets and press briefings criticising the state government and also involving the senior officers of the state,” she said.

“You would no doubt appreciate that the prime focus of the state administration at present is to maintain peaceful situation as against what is going throughout the country,” she wrote to Dhankhar.

As the war of words continued between the two, Dhankar hit back, “Your reflections are far from fact situations and would urge you to engage in soul searching. I seek to remind you that I have all throughout taken steps in consonance with the Constitution and with respect to the present unfortunate crisis in which the State has landed. I have numerously appealed to the people and the Government to do their utmost to maintain peace, avoid violence and adhere to the Rule of Law.”

The new Citizenship Act seeks to give Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who moved to India before December 31, 2014 after facing religious persecution.

The opposition parties have described the law as “discriminatory” and anti-Muslims. Massive protests erupted across the country after the passage of the contentious Bill. The President’s assent was followed by at least 60 petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the act.

Several opposition leaders met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday to demand its immediate withdrawal.

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E20 Janta Party set to follow in CJP footsteps

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After the success of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a new outfit, calling itself the E20 Janta Party, has come into being.

It trended across social media platforms on Thursday after the CJP claimed victory following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with supporters applauding the outcome as a major milestone in the ongoing student-led movement over alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities.

Thousands of posts, memes and videos flooded social media with users celebrating what they described as the growing influence of the CJP-led agitation. The term “E20 Janta Party” quickly gained traction on X and other platforms as motorists worried over the mixing of ethanol in petrol claimed they would themselves stage protests a la CJP.

Motorists all over India have been protesting against the fuel mixture given that their cars and motorcycles bought earlier had not been tuned for such increase in ethanol ratio. Some have claimed damage, ranging from engine damage to lower mileage. The government has not conceded the engine damage claim but has accepted that mileage may be compromised. Further, they have been agitating for a lowered fuel price for E20 since it has 20% ethanol but the government has shown willingness only to lower prices for the E85 blend which is being introduced slowly.

The public outpouring of support for the anti-NEET protests seems to have egged the anti-E20 people to come out of the woodwork though they have been vocal on social media. The Delhi taxi drivers association is also believed to have lent support to this cause. Transporters are also expected to join the protest slated on August 4 year since there are moves afoot to introduce isobutanol-diesel blend this year.

During the protests at Jantar Mantar, many activists had raised the ethanol issue time and again targeting Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, an overzealous advocate for ethanol blending.

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Parliament Monsoon Session 2026: Bill against paper leaks to be introduced in Lok Sabha today

The Lok Sabha will introduce and consider the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing stricter punishment, fast-track courts and stronger safeguards against paper leaks.

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The Lok Sabha is set to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage on Monday as the Centre moves to tighten laws against paper leaks and examination-related fraud.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will seek the House’s permission to introduce the Bill before moving it for consideration and passing during the day’s legislative business.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha are scheduled to begin at 11 am with the Question Hour, during which ministers will respond to listed oral questions.

Bill proposes stricter action against paper leaks

The proposed amendment aims to strengthen transparency and integrity in the public examination system through stricter legal provisions while safeguarding the interests of students.

Among its major provisions are:

  • Imprisonment of up to 10 years for those found guilty.
  • A fine of up to Rs.10 crore.
  • Confiscation of assets of convicted offenders.
  • A mechanism to ensure verdicts in such cases are delivered within three months through fast-track courts.

The proposed changes follow the Union Cabinet’s approval of the legislation and related measures aimed at tackling paper leaks and examination fraud with stricter punishment and expedited trials.

Supreme Court judges amendment Bill also on agenda

Apart from the anti-paper leak legislation, the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to consider the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move the Bill for consideration. It seeks to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Ministers to present implementation reports

Several Union ministers are also expected to place statements before the House on the implementation of recommendations made by various Parliamentary Standing Committees.

Among them:

  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will present an update on recommendations related to the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Jayant Chaudhary will report on recommendations concerning the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  • Pankaj Chaudhary will table a statement on recommendations relating to the Ministry of Finance.
  • Suresh Gopi will present implementation updates on recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.

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Who are the experts in Nandan Nilekani-led PM Modi’s exam reform task force?

PM Modi has constituted a six-member task force led by Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency. Here’s a look at the experts on the panel.

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Following the announcement of a high-powered task force to reform India’s examination system, the Centre has brought together experts from technology, space research, intelligence, education, cybersecurity and logistics to recommend structural changes for the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel, led by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.

In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the government aims to make examinations more reliable, transparent and technology-driven. He said the task force would submit recommendations to improve the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest.

Nandan Nilekani to lead the panel

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, will head the task force. Widely recognised for leading the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and playing a key role in the development of Aadhaar, Nilekani is expected to contribute his expertise in technology, digital infrastructure and data security to the examination reform process.

Former ISRO chief S Somanath

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath, an aerospace engineer, is also part of the panel. During his tenure, ISRO successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-3 mission. His experience in executing complex, high-precision missions is expected to help strengthen quality control and multi-layered verification processes in examinations.

Former IB director Tapan Deka

Former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka has been included for his experience in intelligence and security. A former IPS officer with a postgraduate degree in Physics, he is expected to provide inputs on strengthening intelligence gathering and cyber monitoring to curb organised examination fraud and paper leak networks.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti

V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, is another member of the panel. A computer science academic, he has led initiatives related to microprocessor development and information security at the institute. His expertise is expected to support measures aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and protecting examination software and digital infrastructure.

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal brings administrative and academic policy experience to the task force. A retired IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, she is expected to contribute recommendations on examination policies, answer-key mechanisms, evaluation standards and improvements in the functioning of examination centres.

Logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena

Retired bureaucrat Amrit Lal Meena, who previously served as Bihar’s Chief Secretary and as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, completes the six-member panel. His expertise in supply chain management is expected to help strengthen the secure printing, storage and transportation of question papers through tamper-resistant logistics systems.

The multidisciplinary panel has been tasked with recommending structural reforms aimed at improving transparency, security and reliability in India’s examination system.

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