India's Parliament Sets Record 88-Day Unprorogued Session

The Government of India has kept the Monsoon session of Parliament unprorogued for a record 88 days following the indefinite adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on August 13, 2026. This duration surpasses the previous record of 87 days established in 2008.

By avoiding the formal end of the session, the government maintains the procedural ability to convene an extended or special sitting with only two days' notice. In contrast, initiating a fresh session would require a 14-day notice period. Because constitutional provisions do not mandate a specific timeframe for prorogation after a house is adjourned sine die, the extended period is not considered a procedural impropriety.

This strategy is widely viewed as a move to facilitate a proposed constitutional amendment linked to the Women's Reservation Bill. The amendment seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats through delimitation. A similar attempt to secure the necessary support for this amendment failed during a special sitting of the Budget session on April 17.