Rajya Sabha Monsoon Session 2026: 5 new Bills on judiciary, tax and MSMEs
Synopsis
The Rajya Sabha's Monsoon Session kicks off on 20 July with one of the most packed legislative agendas in recent memory — five new Bills covering Supreme Court bench strength, income tax, MSME reform, birth registration, and national honour, all tabled in a single session. The push signals the government's intent to use the session as a structural reform window, not just a routine sitting.
Key Takeaways
The Rajya Sabha Monsoon Session begins 20 July 2026 with five new Bills slated for introduction.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes raising judge strength from 33 to 37 , excluding the Chief Justice.
The MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 targets delayed payments, arbitration enforcement, and ease of doing business.
The Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 aims to replace an Ordinance and deepen India's sovereign debt market.
Rukmini Mallik , Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal , has resigned; her seat stands vacated from 16 July .
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 and Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 remain pending Lok Sabha passage.
The Rajya Sabha is set for an action-packed Monsoon Session beginning 20 July, with the Union government releasing a tentative legislative agenda that prioritises judicial expansion, income tax reform, and a sweeping overhaul of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. The session's legislative calendar, detailed in the Parliamentary Bulletin issued on Thursday, 16 July, lists five new Bills for introduction alongside key pending legislation.
Five New Bills on the Table
The centrepiece of the session's agenda is a cluster of five new Bills spanning critical reform areas. The Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is designed to replace an existing Ordinance and deepen India's sovereign debt market. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes raising the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India — a move aimed at addressing the court's mounting pendency crisis.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 seeks to tighten provisions around delayed registration, while the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes changes to the existing law governing national symbols. Rounding out the new introductions is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which targets ease of doing business, delayed payment resolution, arbitration enforcement, and reforms to MSME facilitation councils.
Pending Legislation and Education Reform
Beyond the five new Bills, the government also has significant pending legislation on its radar. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 — currently awaiting passage in the Lok Sabha — seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha once cleared by the lower house.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 is also on the government's agenda, pending the report of the Joint Committee of Parliament and passage by the Lok Sabha. The proposed legislation aims to promote institutional autonomy and raise standards in teaching, research, and innovation, with the goal of establishing a Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
Seat Vacated as Rajya Sabha Member Resigns
In a notable development ahead of the session, Rukmini Mallik, a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal, has resigned from the Upper House. Her resignation was accepted by Upper House Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan with effect from Thursday, 16 July, resulting in the vacation of her seat.
Financial Business and What to Watch
On the financial side, the House is scheduled to consider and return the Appropriation Bill relating to Demands for Excess Grants for the Financial Year 2022–23. This comes amid a broader push by the government to clear legislative backlogs and advance structural reforms across multiple sectors before the session concludes. The pace at which these Bills move through both Houses will be closely watched by industry bodies, legal experts, and civil society groups alike.
Point of View
And the government's ability to push them through will depend heavily on opposition cooperation — which has been inconsistent in recent Monsoon Sessions. The Supreme Court bench expansion is long overdue given pendency figures, but the MSME Bill carries the most immediate economic consequence: delayed payments to small businesses remain one of the sector's most corrosive structural problems, and whether the arbitration enforcement provisions have real teeth will determine if this is genuine reform or legislative optics. The Foreign Contribution Bill's trajectory in the Lok Sabha is also worth watching — its provisions have drawn scrutiny from civil society groups and its passage could set the tone for the session's political temperature.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Rajya Sabha Monsoon Session 2026 begin?
The Rajya Sabha Monsoon Session 2026 is scheduled to begin on 20 July. The legislative agenda was released via Parliamentary Bulletin on 16 July.
What are the five new Bills to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha Monsoon Session?
The five new Bills are: the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026, the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill 2026, and the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill 2026.
How many Supreme Court judges will there be if the amendment Bill is passed?
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes increasing the sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The move is aimed at reducing the court's significant case backlog.
What does the MSME Amendment Bill 2026 propose?
The MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 aims to improve ease of doing business for small enterprises, address the longstanding problem of delayed payments, strengthen arbitration enforcement, and reform MSME facilitation councils.
Why did Rukmini Mallik resign from the Rajya Sabha?
The source does not specify the reason for Rukmini Mallik's resignation. Her resignation from the Rajya Sabha was accepted by Upper House Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan with effect from 16 July 2026, vacating her West Bengal seat.
