The first full sitting of the Monsoon Session reflected the Government's intent to keep legislative business moving despite persistent political contestation. The day saw the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, the scheduling of discussions on the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill and the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, and ministerial responses on initiatives such as the Gyan Bharat Mission, which has already surveyed over one crore manuscripts. At the same time, repeated disruptions over issues including NEET and student protests limited the time available for substantive debate. This edition captures the key parliamentary developments, legislative milestones, and political exchanges that shaped the day's proceedings.
I. Key Highlights:
The proceedings of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha commenced at 11:00 AM.
In the Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla Ji (Speaker, Lok Sabha; BJP, Kota, Rajasthan) paid obituary references and commenced the Question Hour.
Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel (BJP, Valsad, Gujarat) sought details on the Gyan Bharat Mission, including the preservation of tribal oral and manuscript traditions and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Shri Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; BJP, Porbandar, Gujarat) informed the House that over 1 crore manuscripts have been surveyed under the Mission, out of which 8 lakh have been digitised and 3.70 lakh manuscripts have already been uploaded, while assuring that tribal manuscript and oral traditions would also be documented.
The Lok Sabha also adopted, through a voice vote, a motion moved by Shri Eatala Rajender (BJP, Malkajgiri, Telangana) recommending the election of two Rajya Sabha Members to the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit.
In the Lok Sabha, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal (MoS (IC), Ministry of Law and Justice; BJP, Bikaner, Rajasthan) after the House granted leave through a voice vote.
Due to repeated disruptions, the House was adjourned till 12:30 PM. Upon reassembly, the Chair urged Shri Gaurav Gogoi (Deputy Leader, INC, Jorhat, Assam) to utilise the opportunity to raise concerns regarding the floods in Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh instead of disrupting the proceedings.
In the Lok Sabha, Shri B. Manickam Tagore (INC, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu) and Shri Hibi Eden (INC, Ernakulam, Kerala) alleged that MPs were being prevented from entering the House. The Chair denied the allegation and reiterated that the House agenda is determined by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).
Repeated disruptions and sloganeering by Opposition Members led to multiple adjournments throughout the day.
In the Rajya Sabha, the proceedings commenced with the oath or affirmation of nine newly elected Members, followed by obituary references.
In the Rajya Sabha, Shri Sanjay Seth (MoS, Ministry of Defence; BJP, Ranchi, Jharkhand) moved a motion for the election of one Member to the Central Advisory Committee of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), which was adopted by the House.
In the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (LoP, INC, Karnataka) raised the issue of the NEET examination and the alleged lathi charge on protesting students at Jantar Mantar, leading to disruptions and the adjournment of the House till 2:00 PM.
The House was informed of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) ‘s allocation of time for the consideration of the Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Appropriation Bill relating to Demands for Excess Grants for 2022–23 and the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, before being adjourned till 2:30 PM.
The proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned at 3:02 PM and 2:32 PM respectively, to reconvene on Tuesday, 21st July, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
I. Lok Sabha Proceedings:
The proceedings of the Lok Sabha commenced at 11:00 AM with Shri Om Birla Ji (Speaker, Lok Sabha; BJP, Kota, Rajasthan) presiding over the House.
Shri Om Birla Ji (Speaker, Lok Sabha; BJP, Kota, Rajasthan) paid obituary references and then commenced the Question Hour.
Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel (BJP, Valsad, Gujarat) sought details regarding the objectives and key components of the Gyan Bharat Mission launched to preserve India’s manuscript heritage. He also asked whether the oral and manuscript traditions of tribal communities such as the Dhodia, Kokna and Warli in South Gujarat were being documented under the Mission and whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) was being utilised for this purpose.
Smt. Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; BJP, Porbandar, Gujarat) stated that the Gyan Bharat Mission aims to preserve, digitise and make India’s manuscript heritage publicly accessible. He informed the House that over 1 crore manuscripts have been surveyed under the Mission, out of which 8 Lakh have been digitised, and 3.70 lakh manuscripts have already been approved, and assured that the manuscripts and oral traditions of tribal communities would also be documented, researched and digitised under the Mission.
Noting the continued disruptions during Question Hour, the House was adjourned at 11:13 AM till 12:00 PM.
Papers and Reports were laid on the Table.
Shri Eatala Rajender (BJP, Malkajgiri, Telangana), along with Shri Ajay Bhatt (BJP, Nainital Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand), moved a motion recommending that the Rajya Sabha elect two of its Members to the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit to fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of Shri N.R. Elango and Shri Deepak Prakash. The motion was adopted by the House through a voice vote.
Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal (MoS (IC), Ministry of Law and Justice; BJP, Bikaner, Rajasthan) sought leave to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, further to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The House granted leave by voice vote, following which the Bill was introduced.
Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal subsequently laid on the Table of the House an explanatory statement regarding the promulgation of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026 (No. 1 of 2026).
Amid persistent disruptions and sloganeering by Opposition Members, Chairperson Shri Dilip Saikia (BJP, Darrang Udalguri, Assam) repeatedly appealed to Members to maintain order and allow the House to function smoothly. As the disruptions continued, the House was adjourned at 12:06 PM till 12:30 PM.
The House reassembled at 12:30 PM, during which the Chairperson urged Shri Gaurav Gogoi (Deputy Leader, INC, Jorhat, Assam) to utilise the time to raise concerns regarding the flood situation in Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh instead of creating disruptions in the House.
However, continued disruptions led to the House being adjourned again at 12:35 PM till 1:00 PM, and upon reassembling at 1:00 PM, it was again adjourned at 1:02 PM till 2:00 PM.
The House reassembled at 2:00 PM with Shri Jagdambika Pal (BJP, Domariyaganj, Uttar Pradesh) in the Chair. Shri B. Manickam Tagore (INC, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu) and Shri Hibi Eden (INC, Ernakulam, Kerala) alleged that Members of Parliament were being prevented from entering the House. The Chair clarified that no Member had been prevented from entering the House and reiterated that the agenda is decided by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).
Shri Kiren Rijiju (Union Minister, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; BJP, Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh) stated that the continued disruptions by Opposition Members were preventing the House from functioning.
Amid continued disruptions, the House was adjourned at 2:03 PM till 2:30 PM.
The House reassembled at 2:30 PM with Shri Jagdambika Pal (BJP, Domariyaganj, Uttar Pradesh) in the Chair. The Chair called upon Shri Khagen Murmu (BJP, Maldaha Uttar, West Bengal) to raise his submission under Rule 377. The Chair informed the House that Shri Khagen Murmu’s notice pertained to the need for the restoration of Malda Airport or the construction of a new airport in Malda district, West Bengal.
However, due to continued disruptions, the Rule 377 submission could not be taken up, and the House was adjourned at 2:33 PM till 3:00 PM.
Post reconvening at 3:00 PM, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day at 3:02 PM to reconvene at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, 21st July, 2026.
II. Rajya Sabha Proceedings:
The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha commenced at 11:00 AM with Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan Ji (Chairman, Rajya Sabha) presiding over the House.
The Chair administered the oath or affirmation to the nine newly elected Members, including leaders such as Shri Pawan Khera (INC, Karnataka), Shri Khiangte Laltluangkima (ZPM, Mizoram) and Shri Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (BJP, West Bengal). Following this, the obituary references were read.
Papers and Reports were laid on the Table.
Shri Sanjay Seth (MoS, Ministry of Defence, BJP, Ranchi, Jharkhand) moved a motion for the election of one Member from among the Members of the House to serve on the Central Advisory Committee of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The motion was put to vote and adopted by the House.
Following his re-election to the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (LoP, INC, Karnataka) was recognised as the Leader of Opposition. He subsequently raised the issue of the NEET examination and alleged police action, including a lathi charge on protesting students at Jantar Mantar. The issue led to disruptions in the House, following which the proceedings were adjourned till 2:00 PM.
The proceedings resumed at 2:00 PM with Shri Harivansh Ji (Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; JD(U), Bihar) in chair.
The House was informed that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), at its meeting held earlier in the day, had allocated time for the consideration of Legislative Business. Four hours were allocated for the consideration and return of the Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2026, three hours for the consideration and return of the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026; three hours for the consideration and passing of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, one hour for the consideration and return of the Appropriation Bill relating to Demands for Excess Grants for 2022–23 and six hours for the consideration and passing of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Subsequently, the House was adjourned till 2:30 PM.
The House reassembled at 2:30 PM but the disruptions and sloganeering continued. Due to which, the Chair repeatedly appealed to the Members to maintain order and uphold the decorum of the House.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned at 2:32 PM to reconvene at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, 21st July, 2026.
III. Events Outside The Parliament:
Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (LoP, INC, Karnataka) condemned the alleged lathi-charge on student protestors seeking the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister, Ministry of Education; BJP, Sambalpur, Odisha). He claimed that it was an attack on democracy and that the Government was unfit to remain in power. He also raised the Ram Temple donation theft issue, holding Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji responsible for constituting the Trust and involving his ‘own people’.
Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (INC, Wayanad, Kerala) criticised the Government over the handling of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, alleging that it refused to discuss pressing public issues while resorting to tear gas and force against protesting students.
Shri Akhilesh Yadav (SP, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh) said, “This is not sarkar but ahankar“ accusing the Government of failing to express condolences for children who lost their lives in the school building collapse in Rajasthan. He also urged the Government to listen to the concerns of students and youth instead of ignoring their voices.
Zia Ur Rahman Barq (SP, Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh) said Samajwadi Party MPs struggled for three hours, during which they were detained at a police station for about an hour and a half. He said they also went to Jantar Mantar to assure students and youth gathered from across the country that the party stood with them from the streets to Parliament. He strongly condemned the police action during the protest, alleging it must have happened at the Government’s behest. He said the country’s youth and the nation’s future were the primary concern, yet the Government was ignoring this while prioritising other matters, calling it beyond comprehension.
Shri Ramdas Athawale (RPI (ATWL), Maharashtra) stated that while peaceful protest is a democratic right, no one should take the law into their own hands. The issue should be resolved through discussion and constructive suggestions to prevent future paper leaks, while rejecting the Opposition’s demand for resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister, Ministry of Education; BJP, Sambalpur, Odisha) asserting that the police would act against any violation of the law.
Dr. Shashi Tharoor (INC, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) claimed that the CJP protest was peaceful and criticised the alleged lathi-charge on the protestors. He urged the Government to allow discussions on key public issues in Parliament and stated that Parliament should serve as a forum for debate while calling for cooperation between the Government and the Opposition.
Smt. Sagarika Ghose (AITC, West Bengal) stated that the Opposition would raise issues including the alleged Ram Temple donation theft, NEET-related concerns, student suicides and political defections. She demanded that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Shri Amit Shah Ji (Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs; BJP, Gandhinagar, Gujarat) address these matters in Parliament. She also alleged that CJP protesters had been prevented from reaching Parliament and claimed that Members were being confined inside the House as its gates had been locked following repeated adjournments.
Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK, Thoothukkudi, Tamil Nadu) said that protest is the most democratic form of expressing people’s opinion and that the questions being raised were valid. She alleged that instead of addressing those concerns, the Government had resorted to violence against the protesters, calling it “totally unacceptable.”
Shri Pawan Khera (INC, Karnataka) said that Parliament was the appropriate place to hold protests and alleged that the Government was afraid of hearing the voices of protesting youth. He demanded the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister, Ministry of Education; BJP, Sambalpur, Odisha), called for transparency in examinations, and urged the Government to safeguard the future of the country’s youth.
Smt. Dimple Yadav (SP, Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh) accused the Government of ignoring students’ concerns and refusing dialogue on the alleged paper leak issue. Marching with party MPs to Jantar Mantar, she expressed support for protesting students and Sonam Wangchuk, alleging that systemic corruption was causing severe distress to the country’s youth.
Shri K.C. Venugopal (INC, Alappuzha, Kerala) said that the Government was on the back foot over the NEET-CBSE paper leak issue and the Ram Temple donation theft, accusing it of avoiding accountability and refusing discussion on matters of public concern.
Shri Manish Tewari (INC, Chandigarh, Chandigarh) called for a new anti-defection law, arguing that the existing legislation had failed to curb opportunistic defections. He said Parliament should prioritise reforms to protect democratic mandates while allowing genuine ideological dissent.
Shri Dr. John Brittas (CPI(M), Kerala) opposed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, saying he has written to Shri Amit Shah Ji (Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs; BJP, Gandhinagar, Gujarat) seeking its withdrawal and criticised the proposed legislation as an attempt to criminalise matters related to Vande Mataram.
Smt. Mahua Moitra (AITC, Krishnanagar, West Bengal) alleged that rebel MPs with pending disqualification petitions were being legitimised by the Government, criticised their inclusion in the all-party meeting, and termed the newly created seating arrangement in Parliament the “Traitor Bench.”
Shri Ashok Chavan (BJP, Maharashtra) expressed confidence that the NDA has the numbers to pass the Delimitation Bill, claiming support from some TMC and possibly DMK MPs, and said the position would become clear during the Parliament session.
Smt. Rekha Sharma (BJP, Haryana) said the DMK and the INDIA bloc should clarify their stand on the Delimitation Bill, adding that she believed the DMK was on the right track and would support the legislation.
Shri Deepender Singh Hooda (INC, Rohtak, Haryana) said that repeated examination paper leaks had eroded students’ faith in the education and recruitment systems. He accused the Government of failing to curb paper leak mafias, criticised Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister, Ministry of Education; BJP, Sambalpur, Odisha) for not taking responsibility, and highlighted student suicides over the issue.
The proceedings showed the challenge of balancing political accountability with legislative productivity. While disruptions continued to consume valuable parliamentary time, the Government nevertheless advanced its reform agenda by introducing new legislation, placing key business before both Houses, and allocating discussion time for measures ranging from judicial capacity and tax reforms to MSME development. With several important bills now scheduled for consideration, the effectiveness of the remainder of the session will depend on whether Parliament can devote greater time to informed debate while maintaining the momentum of governance and reform.
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Annexure VI -
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