Panels examining the Ministerial Appeals Bill and the VBSA Bill adjourn hearings to adopt draft reports

The panel on the Constitutional Amendment Bill, headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, in its draft report recommended replacing the “removal” of ministers with “suspension”. File | Photo credit: ANI

The Parliamentary Joint Committee Scrutinizing the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill on Saturday (July 18, 2026) canceled its July 20 meeting where it was supposed to adopt a draft report of the bill. This comes a day after the committee examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill to impeach the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Ministers if they are held in jail for serious offenses for 30 days adjourned its meeting.

Opposition leaders such as Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh and Trinamool Congress president Sagarika Ghose termed the development, which comes just ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, a “big victory” for the opposition. In a statement on social media, Mr. Ramesh said, “The shadow of the embarrassment that the Modi government had to endure in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026 still lingers.” On 17 April, the government’s efforts to pass laws related to the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies were defeated in the House of Commons.

On Saturday (July 18, 2026) evening, Mr Ramesh referred to the defeat of the delimitation bills in April as a “humiliation suffered by the Modi government” that cast a “long shadow that persists despite the bluffing, boasting and bluster of the Union Home Minister”.

While the committee examining the Constitution Amendment Bill said on Friday (July 17, 2026) that it had adjourned its meeting to make room for further consultations, the panel on the VBSA Bill, which intends to overhaul the regulatory framework for higher education in the country, said on Saturday that it had adjourned its meeting until further notice.

The panel on the Constitutional Amendment Bill, headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, in its draft report recommended replacing the “removal” of ministers with “suspension”. The VBSA Bill Committee, headed by BJP MP D. Purandeswari, revealed in its report that the Center had agreed to changes proposed by its NDA-allied governments in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya over concerns of over-centralization, The Hindu reported.

The Trinamool Congress also submitted a formal objection to the VBSA bill in the committee, calling the legislation a “constitutional Trojan horse” that is presented as a framework for setting standards for higher education. The Trinamool report further explains that the proposed architecture of the VBSA oversteps the constitutional role of Parliament, weakens cooperative federalism, centralizes executive power, affects academic freedom and institutional autonomy and proposes reform without a financial framework – issues reportedly cited by Congress chief Digvijay Singh, who is also on the panel.

During the hearing, Mr. Singh also said that he had raised concerns that the Center was going beyond what the Union list had allowed Parliament to do when it introduced this bill. Mr. Singh further contended that by entering into the field of establishment, regulation and dissolution of universities, the Center was also encroaching upon the jurisdiction of the States as provided under the State and Concurrent Lists of the Constitution.

Apart from recommending that PMs, CMs and Ministers be “suspended” instead of “removed” in the provisions of the Constitutional (130th) Amendment Bill, the committee headed by Ms. Sarangi also recommended defining “serious offences” as offenses punishable with imprisonment of five years or more, clause of automatic revocation in case of discharge or failure, acquittal and acquittal in such cases and offences. for this particular bill.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 22:59 IST