Parliamentary Session Dates Announced; JPC Report Expected on Controversial Constitutional Amendment

New-Delhi : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday that the Monsoon Session of the Parliament will begin from July 20 and will continue August 13. “The Session will commence on 20 July, 2026 and continue till 13 August, 2026 for meaningful debate, discussion and decisions on issues of National Importance,” Rijiju, a Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh, said in a post on X. Meanwhile, a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the controversial 130th Constitution Amendment Bill is expected to adopt its report on July 17, with indications that it will retain the Bill’s most debated provision mandating the automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Union or State ministers from office if they are arrested and remain in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days in cases involving serious offences. According to the sources, “A meeting of the committee was called again on July 17. The committee is unlikely to recommend dropping the contentious clause despite concerns raised by several stakeholders during deliberations. However, the report is expected to include safeguards aimed at preventing the provision from being misused for political vendetta or motivated prosecutions.” The proposed amendment had triggered a sharp political debate, with supporters arguing that it would strengthen accountability in public office, while the opposition has warned that it could be exploited to destabilise elected governments through politically motivated investigations and arrests.