Monsoon session from July 20, govt hopes to push key bills in Parliament

The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled from July 20 to August 13, 2026 (approximately 19 sittings), with a dense legislative agenda centred on consti...

What Happened

The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled from July 20 to August 13, 2026 (approximately 19 sittings), with a dense legislative agenda centred on constitutional amendments.
The government intends to introduce the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill to expand Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 850 seats — the primary mechanism through which the 33% women's reservation under the 106th Amendment would be operationalised for the 2029 general elections without waiting for the next population census.
A proposed amendment to the Constitution (130th Amendment) — the PM-CMs Jail Bill — would mandate automatic vacation of ministerial office (including Prime Minister and Chief Ministers) if the holder remains in custody for 31 or more days.
The Lok Sabha Speaker is expected to rule on merger petitions by 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs and 6 Sena (UBT) MPs, a decision with direct numerical consequences for the recognised strength of parliamentary groups under the anti-defection law.
The One Nation One Election Bill is also listed among potential introductions, though its prospects in the current session remain uncertain.

Static Topic Bridges

The Women's Reservation Act (106th Constitutional Amendment, 2023) and Implementation Challenge

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 — popularly known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — was passed by the Lok Sabha on 20 September 2023 (454 votes in favour, 2 against) and the Rajya Sabha on 21 September 2023 (214 votes in favour, unanimous). The Act inserts Articles 330A and 332A into the Constitution, reserving one-third of directly elected seats for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly (including one-third within SC/ST-reserved seats). However, implementation is explicitly conditional: Article 334A ties the reservation's activation to a delimitation exercise based on the first census published after the Act's commencement.

Article 330A: Reserves approximately one-third of Lok Sabha seats for women.
Article 332A: Applies the same framework to State Assemblies and Delhi Assembly.
Article 334A: Stipulates the reservation comes into force only after the post-commencement census and subsequent delimitation.
Duration: The reservation operates for 15 years from commencement; reserved seats rotate after each delimitation.
Act brought into force: Gazette notification dated 16 April 2026 (but the actual quota remains inoperative pending census-delimitation).
131st Amendment Bill proposed rationale: By adding 307 new Lok Sabha seats (to reach 850), the government argues the existing 543 constituencies remain undisturbed while new seats are created exclusively for women, bypassing the need for a census-triggered delimitation.

Connection to this news: The core legislative objective of the monsoon session is to resolve the census-delimitation deadlock that has kept the 106th Amendment inoperative since 2023, using seat expansion as the operational mechanism.

Parliamentary Procedures: Constitutional Amendment Bills

Constitutional amendment bills under Article 368 require a special majority for passage — defined as a majority of the total membership of each House AND a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting. Certain amendments also require ratification by not less than one-half of the State Legislatures before presidential assent. The expansion of Lok Sabha seats (131st Amendment) and the women's reservation operationalisation (amending Article 334A) both fall under Article 368 and require this special majority; they do not need state ratification.

Simple majority (Article 100): Required for ordinary bills — majority of members present and voting, with quorum of one-tenth.
Special majority (Article 368): Total membership majority + two-thirds of present-and-voting majority.
State ratification requirement (Article 368 proviso): Required when amendments affect federal provisions (e.g., Articles 54, 55, 73, 162, distribution of legislative powers). The delimitation/seat-expansion bill does not trigger this.
Money Bill (Article 110): Defined exhaustively; can only originate in Lok Sabha; Rajya Sabha has 14 days to return (its vote is advisory only).
Current Lok Sabha numerical context: Ruling alliance's effective majority is sensitive to the Speaker's anti-defection rulings on defecting MPs.

Connection to this news: The government's ability to pass constitutional amendment bills depends on crossing the two-thirds threshold in both Houses; Speaker rulings that merge defecting MPs into ruling alliance groups directly affect whether that threshold is achievable without negotiation.

Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule) and the Speaker's Quasi-Judicial Role

The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985) — known as the anti-defection law — disqualifies a member of Parliament or state legislature who voluntarily gives up party membership or votes contrary to party direction. However, the Tenth Schedule also provides that a merger is not a defection if at least two-thirds of the members of the original legislature party agree to merge with another party. The Speaker (for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies) and the Chairman (for Rajya Sabha) act as the sole adjudicating authority on disqualification petitions, a role the Supreme Court has characterised as quasi-judicial in nature.

Tenth Schedule (52nd Amendment, 1985): Original provisions; included a "split" exemption (one-third members) which was deleted by the 91st Constitutional Amendment, 2003.
91st Amendment, 2003: Eliminated the "split" exception; only mergers (two-thirds threshold) are now valid defences.
Speaker's role: Sole first-instance adjudicator; decisions are subject to judicial review only after the Speaker makes a ruling (Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu, 1992).
Kihoto Hollohan case (1992): Supreme Court upheld the Tenth Schedule as constitutional but held that Speaker's decisions are subject to judicial review on grounds of mala fides or perversity; also held that the Speaker cannot take cognisance of a notice that the member's own party has issued against him during the pendency of a no-confidence motion.
Current relevance: 20 rebel TMC MPs and 6 Sena (UBT) MPs have submitted merger petitions; Speaker Om Birla's ruling on whether the mergers satisfy the two-thirds threshold will determine if they face disqualification.

Connection to this news: The Speaker's pending ruling on MP mergers is not merely procedural — it directly affects the arithmetic for passing constitutional amendment bills in the Lok Sabha by bringing more members formally within the ruling alliance's bloc.

Key Facts & Data

Monsoon Session 2026 dates: July 20 – August 13, 2026 (approximately 19 sittings)
106th Constitutional Amendment (Women's Reservation): passed September 2023; brought into force April 16, 2026
Women's reservation quantum: one-third of directly elected Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats
Articles inserted by 106th Amendment: 330A (Lok Sabha), 332A (State Assemblies), 334A (commencement condition)
Implementation condition: delimitation based on first post-commencement census
131st Amendment Bill: proposes expanding Lok Sabha to 850 seats (from 543)
Anti-defection law: Tenth Schedule, added by 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985
Merger defence threshold: two-thirds of original legislature party members
"Split" exemption: removed by 91st Constitutional Amendment, 2003
Special majority under Article 368: total membership majority + two-thirds of present-and-voting
Landmark case on Tenth Schedule: Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu, 1992