Monsoon Session To Begin Amid Political Flashpoints, Seven Bills On Govt Agenda

The monsoon session of Parliament, expected to be tumultuous, is scheduled to begin on July 20, with the government set to introduce seven major legislative proposals, including two legacy bills. However, in the agenda released, neither the delimitation Bill nor the women’s reservation Bill has been listed. Of the five new bills listed for introduction, two will replace ordinances promulgated earlier this year.

Among the pending legislations is the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, it is scheduled for consideration and passage during the upcoming session. The government has claimed that the proposed amendments are intended to improve transparency in the regulation of foreign funds received in India.

The Viksit Bharat Education Establishment Bill, 2025, introduced in December last year, was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament. It will be considered and passed after the report of the joint parliamentary committee is submitted during the session.

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will replace an earlier ordinance. The government says the Bill is aimed at strengthening India's sovereign debt market, attracting global capital, and improving market liquidity against the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, volatile crude oil prices and ongoing supply chain disruptions.

The second ordinance to be replaced is the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. It proposes increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court (SC) judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI), with the stated objective of reducing the backlog of pending cases.

Three other bills are also set to be introduced:

• Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026: It proposes amendments to Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, last amended in 2023, to tighten and streamline the rules governing delayed registration of births and deaths.

• Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026: The proposed amendments to the 1971 Act seek stricter penalties for acts deemed to disrespect national symbols or undermine national honour.

• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026: It aims to promote ease of doing business through trust-based regulation, strengthen mechanisms for addressing delayed payments and give states greater administrative powers.

There has also been speculation that the government may move the proposed Constitution Amendment Bills on delimitation and women's reservation only after it is confident of securing the required two-thirds majority in both Houses.

Ahead of the session, the government has convened an all-party meeting on Sunday, July 19, where it is expected to outline its legislative agenda. Opposition parties are likely to present the issues they intend to raise during the session. The meeting, a customary exercise before every Parliament session, is expected to begin at 11 am.

The Opposition is also stepping up its preparations. Leaders of Opposition parties in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet on Monday, the opening day of the session, to finalise a joint strategy for the weeks ahead.

The meeting is expected to focus on the government's legislative programme as well as the opposition's priorities. On Thursday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party would strongly oppose the proposed Delimitation Bill if it is reintroduced, alleging that the Centre was attempting to revive legislation that had previously failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.

Ramesh said the Congress would also oppose several other proposed legislations, including the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, as well as amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The Monsoon Session is expected to witness sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches, with recent divisions and splits within several opposition parties adding another layer of political uncertainty.

This session is scheduled to be opened against the backdrop of the planned march of the newly-formed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) towards the Parliament House and the scandal over the embezzlement of funds meant for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

As the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is planning to get a two-thirds majority for the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill on women’s reservation and delimitation, the Congress is preparing for its political fight.

While being optimistic about the continued opposition to the Bill from the INDIA bloc partners, some opposition parties, like the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), may choose to support the Bill if the legislation provides proper protection to the states.

Though the DMK had opposed the defeated Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the special session in April, the party has made it clear that it will form its position only after examining the redrafted version. The DMK has also fallen out with the Congress and decided to sit separately in the Parliament.