The Monsoon Session of Parliament began today, July 21, 2025, with the government and the Congress-led INDIA bloc opposition set for intense debates over 32 days until August 21, 2025. The session, featuring 21 sittings with a break from August 12, 2025, to August 18, 2025, will see the government introduce eight new bills, including the Income Tax Bill, 2025, and discuss seven pending ones, while the opposition targets issues like the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and Bihar’s electoral roll revisions. The session aims to advance legislative reforms and address national concerns.
The government will introduce eight new bills, including the Income Tax Bill, 2025, to replace the 1961 Income Tax Act with a simpler framework. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the bill in February 2025, and a 31-member Select Committee, chaired by MP Baijayant Panda, proposed 285 changes, reducing sections from 819 to 536 and chapters from 47 to 23. The bill aims to cut jargon, reduce litigation, and introduce a “tax year” concept, effective April 1, 2026, if passed.
Other bills include the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024; Bills of Lading Bill, 2024; Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025; National Sports Governance Bill, 2025; Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2025; and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025. Seven pending bills, including the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, will also be discussed.
The government will table a resolution to extend President’s Rule in Manipur, imposed February 13, 2025, under Article 356(1), alongside discussions on the Demands for Grants (Manipur) for 2025-26 and its Appropriation Bill.
The opposition, led by Congress and supported by 24 INDIA bloc parties, including TMC, DMK, RJD, and SP, plans to challenge the government on multiple fronts during the Monsoon Session. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge demand accountability for the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address security lapses. CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar moved a Rule 267 notice in Rajya Sabha to suspend regular business and discuss the attack alongside Operation Sindoor, India’s military response targeting terror camps in Pakistan.
The opposition also seeks clarity on Operation Sindoor, described by PM Modi as a “100% successful” airstrike, and questions US President Donald Trump’s May 2025 ceasefire claims, which the government rejected. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari insists Modi respond to these claims, citing concerns over India’s diplomatic standing. Additionally, the opposition, including Congress and RJD, criticizes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls for 2025 elections, alleging it threatens voting rights of Dalits, SCs, STs, minorities, and poor upper castes, accusing the Election Commission of implementing a “backdoor NRC.”
The issue remains under Supreme Court review. The opposition further presses for Jammu and Kashmir statehood restoration and action on Manipur’s ongoing crisis, urging Modi to introduce a law in 2025. They also plan to raise the 2025 Ahmedabad Air India crash, which killed 260 people, challenging US reports blaming pilots, alongside concerns over foreign policy, Gaza, delimitation, and issues affecting SCs, STs, women, and minorities. Over 100 MPs have signed an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma over a 2025 cash recovery controversy at his residence.
On July 20, 2025, PM Modi praised Operation Sindoor and India’s defense, fintech, and economic progress, noting inflation dropped to 2% from double digits pre-2014, urging unity. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized openness to discuss all issues within rules, noting cabinet ministers will respond. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for cooperation. An all-party meeting on July 20, 2025, with 40 representatives from 51 parties, saw debates over Bihar SIR and Maharashtra language issues. The government rejected a special session on Operation Sindoor but allowed a debate within norms.
On July 21, 2025, disruptions led to adjournments in both houses. The Lok Sabha adjourned until noon after tributes to Pahalgam and Ahmedabad crash victims. Rajya Sabha admitted an adjournment motion on Operation Sindoor. The session’s packed agenda and contentious issues signal intense debates, shaping India’s legislative and political landscape for 2025 state elections. [Rh/Eth/RS]
