The Monsoon Session of Parliament will be held from 21 July to 12 August, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced on Wednesday. The dates were recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and are subject to Presidential approval.
The announcement assumes significance in the backdrop of growing opposition demands for a special session to discuss Operation Sindoor, India’s recent trans-border counter-terror operation launched on 7 May following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. In response to these demands, Rijiju maintained that the scheduled Monsoon Session would provide sufficient scope to address any such issue.
“Under the rules, all issue can be discussed during the Monsoon session,” Rijiju told reporters in New Delhi.
First session since Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor, the first Indian military strike across the Line of Control since 2019, involved targeted precision strikes against terror launchpads and ammunition dumps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation, carried out by a combination of missile-equipped drones and special forces, was in retaliation to the May 5 attack on an army convoy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Opposition leaders have since pressed for a dedicated session to debate the strategic, diplomatic and humanitarian fallout of the operation, which India claims was successful in neutralising several key terror operatives. The government has thus far resisted such calls, arguing that the regular Monsoon Session would provide ample platform for deliberation.
Legislative business and previous session
The forthcoming Monsoon Session is expected to witness the tabling of key legislation left pending during the previous session. The 2024 Monsoon Session, which ran from 22 July to 9 August, saw 14 bills introduced, including amendments to the Disaster Management Act, and new legislation relating to civil aviation and industrial development in the coffee and rubber sectors.
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Of these, four bills were passed, while several others were referred to standing committees. Among them was the much-debated Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, which proposed overhauling civil aviation regulatory frameworks in line with global standards.
Analysts expect the upcoming session to not only revive those legislative proposals, but also accommodate new ones as the Centre seeks to fast-track its economic agenda ahead of winter.
Political temperature rising
The session also arrives amid rising political tensions between the treasury benches and a resurgent opposition bloc. The latter has accused the government of avoiding scrutiny on key security issues and attempting to bypass Parliament through ordinance and executive action.
However, government sources assert that the ruling coalition is prepared to engage in full debate and is confident of passing pending legislation with its current numbers in both Houses.
The Monsoon Session typically spans the July-August window each year and is the second of three annual sessions of Parliament. It provides a critical opportunity for mid-year legislative action, policy oversight and debate.
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