Monsoon Session: Judiciary, taxation and MSMEs in focus as Rajya Sabha prepares for new Bills
New Delhi, July 16
The Rajya Sabha is set for a busy Monsoon Session beginning from July 20, with the Union government unveiling a tentative Legislative agenda that places judicial reforms, taxation measures and support for micro, small and medium enterprises at the forefront.
According to the Parliamentary Bulletin issued on Thursday, Members will deliberate on five new Bills, alongside key pending legislation, covering areas such as the expansion of the Supreme Court's strength, amendments to income tax provisions, reforms in the MSME sector, stricter birth and death registration norms, and changes to the law on national honour, reflecting the Government's broad reform priorities.
The bulletin announced that Rukmini Mallik, Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal, has resigned from the House. Her resignation has been accepted by the Upper House Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan with effect from Thursday, resulting in the vacation of her seat, it added.
Importantly, five new Bills are expected to be introduced during the session. These include the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, intended to replace an Ordinance and deepen India's sovereign debt market; the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing an increase in the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India); the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to tighten provisions relating to delayed registration; the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at improving the ease of doing business, addressing delayed payments, strengthening arbitration enforcement, and reforming MSME facilitation councils.
Among the major bills is Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. It is currently pending in the Lok Sabha. It seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. The Bill will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha after it is passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Union government also plans to consider the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, once the report of the Joint Committee of Parliament is presented and the Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha.
The proposed legislation aims to strengthen higher education by promoting institutional autonomy and improving standards in teaching, research and innovation. It also aims to pave the way for establishing a Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
According to the Bulletin, the financial business of the House will include consideration and return of the Appropriation Bill relating to Demands for Excess Grants for the Financial Year 2022-23.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Income-tax amendment to deepen sovereign debt market - that's smart. But I'm more curious about the FCRA amendments. NGOs in my city are already nervous about the tightening of foreign funding rules. Hope there's genuine debate on this, not just a rushed bill.
As an international observer living in Delhi, it's interesting to see India's legislative pace. The Supreme Court expansion seems logical given the backlog - 33 to 37 judges is modest but welcome. The real test is whether these reforms reduce case pendency.👍
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill sounds promising for autonomous institutions, but I'm skeptical. We've had so many education reforms - NEP, new bills - but ground reality in our colleges hasn't changed much. Show me the implementation plan, not just the vision document.
Strict birth and death registration amendments? My father faced so much harassment registering my grandfather's death in a remote village. If this bill simplifies the process and stops corruption, great. But knowing our bureaucracy, it might add more paperwork 😓
Monsoon Session looks packed, but I wish there was more on farmer issues and climate resilience. Yes, MSMEs and judiciary are crucial, but aren't we forgetting the agrarian distress? Hope the opposition raises these points during debates. Balanced development needed!✊
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