Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram (File Photo: PTI)

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday dubbed a bill recently passed in Parliament to prevent unfair means in exams as without any use, alleging exams are being cancelled daily in states, including Maharashtra.

Speaking at an event here on the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament, Chidambaram hit out at the BJP for claiming to have passed several bills though they merely passed "useless bills" without any debate.

In the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and members all speak, while the Speaker issues rulings.

Watching this makes one feel that being a Member of the State Assembly –Tamil Nadu– is far better than being a Member of Parliament, he said.

In Parliament, no such debate takes place, he claimed.

The Leader of the Opposition is not permitted to speak, Ministers do not answer questions, members do not talk, and the Speaker simply instructs everyone to sit down without rendering rulings.

The most concerning aspect of this monsoon session was the absence of debate.

Although a list was released claiming that 12 bills were passed, not a single one was passed following discussion, he alleged.

On the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, he said the provisions merely lay down punishments. This should have been titled a bill prescribing punishments rather than one aimed at prevention. As the English proverb goes, it is like locking the stable after the horse has bolted.

He said: "Now, with this law, will unfair practices stop happening hereafter in public examinations? Just yesterday, a public examination was cancelled. The day before yesterday, another public examination was cancelled. In Maharashtra, two public examinations were cancelled. In Rajasthan, one public examination was cancelled. Therefore, this is a useless law. Daily, after this law was passed, public examinations are being cancelled. In Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, public examinations are being cancelled.

After passing useless bills without any debate, they (BJP-led government at the Centre) boast that they adopted several bills. Therefore, there is no use in enacting such useless laws, he alleged.

Out of the 12 bills passed, two are mischievous and it includes the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

Providing a context to this Bill passed in the Parliament, Chidambaram said the Supreme Court had ruled that the Central government had the authority to levy taxes, but state governments also had the authority.

The Supreme Court gave a judgment stating that state governments can also levy taxes over and above the Central government's tax.

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