India Sets Legislative Agenda for July Monsoon Session

The Government of India has scheduled the Monsoon Session of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha to run from July 20 to August 13, 2026, in New Delhi. The legislative agenda features seven primary bills: two legacy measures, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, and five new proposals. These include the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill to attract global capital, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill to increase the bench from 33 to 37, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, which would criminalize obstructing the singing of Vande Mataram.

Other priority legislation includes the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill to address delayed payments and the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill. While the government initially excluded a women's reservation bill from the agenda, later reports indicate it seeks to pass the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill to reserve 33% of seats for women by 2029. The government's efforts to secure a two-thirds majority have been bolstered by the defection of 20 TMC and 6 SSS-UBT MPs to the NDA.

The Indian National Congress and other opposition leaders have vowed to block several measures, including the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill and any delimitation efforts. The opposition intends to challenge the government on the NEET-UG paper leak, alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and remarks made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding Operation Sindoor. Additionally, the Cockroach Janta Party has organized protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.