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The Monsoon Session of the Parliament is set to commence on Monday, July 21, and will continue until August 21, during which the central government plans to introduce eight new bills. The legislative agenda includes key economic and governance-related proposals, with the spotlight on the much-anticipated Income-Tax Bill, 2025.

According to official listings, the Income-Tax Bill, originally introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 13 during the Budget Session, has been adopted by a select parliamentary committee chaired by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda. The bill is pending Union Cabinet approval, only after which it will be brought for passage in the ongoing session.

Another major bill up for introduction is the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025. This bill aims to align Manipur’s state GST law with the national GST framework. Additionally, Parliament is expected to consider a bill to extend President’s rule in Manipur, which requires reauthorisation every six months under constitutional norms.

Aiming at regulatory reform, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, will also be presented. This legislation seeks to enhance ease of doing business and streamline compliance procedures for businesses.

In total, eight new bills are scheduled for introduction, while seven pending bills from earlier sessions will also be revisited. The comprehensive list of bills includes:

• The Bills of Lading Bill, 2024
• The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill
•  The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024
• The Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Bill, 2024
• The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024
•  The Indian Ports Bill, 2025
•  The Income-Tax Bill, 2025
•  The Manipur GST (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025
• The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• The Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2025
•  The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025
•  The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025
•  The National Anti-Doping Amendment Bill, 2025

 Trump's Remarks On Op Sindoor, Bihar SIR On Oppn's Agenda

Meanwhile, opposition parties under the INDIA bloc have coordinated their own strategy for the Monsoon session. In a virtual meeting attended by 24 political parties, opposition leaders resolved to raise a range of issues, including the recent Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath, concerns over foreign policy decisions, and electoral roll revisions in Bihar that they claim threaten voting rights.

US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering a 'ceasefire' during India-Pakistan hostilities, and the government's "silence" over it will also be raised. Additionally, the opposition parties have decided to raise issues like elimitation exercise and "targeting" of SCs/STs, women and minorities, "atrocities" in Gaza, and Ahmedabad plane crash.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari emphasised that the Prime Minister’s presence is expected in the House to address pressing national issues. "Parliament is more important than travelling abroad," he asserted.

Congress leader K.C. Venugopal also announced that an in-person meeting of the INDIA bloc will take place in August to reinforce inter-party coordination.

While key leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin were absent from the Saturday meeting. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is also a founding member of the bloc, did not attend the online meeting, after its announcement of quitting the bloc.

Notable participants included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP)’s Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and representatives from DMK, RJD, TMC, CPI(M), CPI, and JMM.

Opposition members expressed concern about multiple issues they plan to highlight in Parliament, including alleged intelligence failures in Jammu and Kashmir, the urgent need to restore full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and the alleged use of central agencies and the Election Commission in what they described as “E-square” political tactics- "ED for opposition leaders and EC for voters".

Further, opposition leaders discussed two judicial matters they may raise: the potential impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma following a burnt cash discovery incident, and the pending action against Justice Shekhar Yadav, for whom an impeachment notice was filed in December 2024.

The Monsoon Session is expected to be marked by intense legislative debate and political sparring, with both government and opposition aiming to drive their respective agendas in the weeks ahead.

(With inputs from news agencies IANS, PTI.)