The Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled from July 20 to August 13, is shaping up to be a combative one.

The centre has placed five new bills on the legislative agenda along with two previously tabled measures, even as the Delimitation Bill and the One Nation, One Election proposal remain outside the formal list for now.

The session, which will be the eighth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, is also expected to be politically charged, with the Opposition preparing to raise issues ranging from the NEET-UG paper leak to Operation Sindoor casualties and other flashpoints in both Houses.

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A full docket awaits the House

The five new bills listed by the government are the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026; the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The national song-related bill seeks to amend the 1971 law to make intentional insult of, or disruption during, the singing of Vande Mataram punishable, while the birth-registration bill proposes stricter provisions for delayed registration of births and deaths.

The government has also retained two earlier measures on the agenda: the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, which was introduced during the Budget Session, and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025, which is already under scrutiny by a joint committee.

The weightiest questions remain unanswered

The biggest political stakes, however, remain tied to delimitation and the wider constitutional agenda.

The delimitation proposal was earlier introduced as part of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill alongside the women’s reservation push, but it failed to get the required two-thirds special majority in the Lok Sabha during the April special session.

Another contentious measure, the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which seeks the automatic removal from office of a jailed prime minister, chief minister or other minister after 30 days in custody, was referred back to the Joint Parliamentary Committee and returned with proposed changes.

The absence of both bills from the latest list circulated to MPs has kept the suspense alive over whether they will be taken up later in the session.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The Congress Party has consistently maintained that it will strongly oppose the Delimitation Bill and will continue to do so.”

The opening moves are nearly upon us

The government is expected to brief floor leaders at an all-party meeting on July 19, while the Opposition is preparing its own strategy ahead of the session’s opening on July 20.

According to the reports, Congress and other Opposition parties are likely to press the government on delimitation, the ONOE discussion, the proposed education-sector overhaul, amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and the National Food Security Act, and broader political issues they want to take up on the floor of Parliament.

With the session set to run until August 13, the first few days are likely to determine whether the Centre limits itself to the five listed bills and two pending measures or finds room to revive the more contentious constitutional proposals.

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FAQs

Q1: What are the key bills listed for the Monsoon Session of Parliament 2026?

The government has listed five new bills, including measures on income tax, birth registration, national honour, MSMEs and the Supreme Court, along with two pending bills.

Q2: Is the Delimitation Bill part of the Monsoon Session agenda?

No, the Delimitation Bill is not part of the formal legislative agenda released for the Monsoon Session, although it is expected to remain a major political issue.