NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged lawmakers to ensure a productive Monsoon Session of Parliament, emphasizing that proceedings should be guided by meaningful, fact-backed debates rather than disruptions.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament ahead of the session’s commencement, the Prime Minister drew a parallel between the rainy season and the functioning of the House.
“Be it the monsoon or the monsoon session, if both are proactive, they prove to be highly productive. And when both are productive, it leads to the welfare of the nation and the well-being of all living beings,” Modi said, adding that Parliament should serve as a platform for reasoned debate where every voice finds space without the need for chaos.
Highlighting India’s recent milestones, the Prime Minister lauded the country’s advancing private space sector, specifically praising the young team behind the startup Skyroot Aerospace. He noted that an Indian citizen reached the International Space Station just before last year’s monsoon session, and recently, private enterprise reached new heights.
“I was told that the average age of the entire team working at the ‘Skyroot’ startup is merely 28 years,” Modi said. He then used the reference to take a political swipe at Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, adding, “I am not speaking of a 56-year-old youth.”
The Monsoon Session, scheduled to run until August 13, is expected to be politically charged as the government pushes a heavy legislative agenda against an Opposition looking to raise contentious national issues.
Key legislations on the government’s priority list include the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to amend foreign funding regulations, and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which aims to overhaul the higher education framework after being reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The Centre will also take up the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to replace an ordinance extending tax exemptions for foreign investors on specified government securities. Additionally, the Supreme Court Amendment Bill, 2026, proposes increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, to tackle case pendency.
Other key bills slated for introduction include the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at improving ease of doing business, alongside amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
