New Delhi : The government will have only three scheduled working days to clear pending legislative business before the session’s scheduled conclusion on August 13.
Parliament’s Monsoon Session enters its final week on Monday, with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 likely to be among the most closely watched pieces of legislative business as the government seeks to push pending Bills before the session concludes on August 13.
The FCRA Bill, which has been pending in the Lok Sabha since its introduction in March, is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage on August 12.
The Bill proposes changes to the framework governing foreign contributions and assets held by organisations whose FCRA registration has ceased. It also seeks to reduce the maximum punishment for violations of the law from five years’ imprisonment to one year.
The legislation has emerged as a major point of contention between the government and the Opposition, with Opposition parties seeking greater scrutiny of the proposed changes.
Another significant piece of pending legislation is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the University Grants Commission, AICTE and the National Council for Teacher Education with a single higher education regulator.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2025 and is currently before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Its progress in the final week will depend on the government’s legislative priorities and the time available in the two Houses.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is among the other Bills identified in the session’s legislative programme.
The initial session plan prepared by PRS Legislative Research had identified 28 Bills as pending when the Monsoon Session began on July 20. It had listed the FCRA Bill and the higher education Bill among legislation for consideration and passage, alongside Bills relating to income tax, MSMEs, registration of births and deaths, the Supreme Court’s strength and national honour.
The legislative picture has since changed.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, for instance, has already cleared both Houses, with the Rajya Sabha passing it on August 3 and the Lok Sabha approving it on August 7.
The MSME Bill seeks to strengthen the framework for addressing delayed payments, provide for additional Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils and introduce a national digital platform for voluntary registration of MSMEs.
The likely legislative push in the final three days has prompted the Congress to direct its MPs to remain present in Parliament from August 10 to 12.
Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said in a three-line whip that “very important issues will be taken up for discussion” on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. An identical whip was issued to party MPs in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress has also asked INDIA bloc allies to ensure the presence of their MPs during the three days.
The directive comes amid reports that the FCRA Bill could be brought up for discussion and passage, as well as speculation over possible government moves related to women’s reservation and delimitation.
However, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs did not include the FCRA Bill or the proposed women’s reservation and delimitation legislation in the tentative government business communicated for next week.
The government will have only three scheduled working days to clear pending legislative business before the session’s scheduled conclusion on August 13.
Repeated disruptions have already limited the amount of business taken up during the session. On Friday, both Houses were adjourned amid Opposition protests, including demands for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police action against student protesters.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of not respecting the Chair’s alleged request for the Home Minister to make a statement.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the charge, saying, “The minister responsible for the business before the House gives the reply. The opposition will not decide which minister should come and when.”
With the Opposition preparing to remain present and the government facing a compressed legislative window, the final three days of the Monsoon Session could determine how much of its pending agenda reaches the finish line.
