Parliament is headed for another week of confrontation when it reconvenes on Monday, with the Opposition sharpening its arsenal aimed at Home Minister Amit Shah over the 'Chanda Chori' (donation theft) controversy in Ayodhya's Ram temple. The ruling BJP has responded by seeking breach of privilege proceedings against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for certain remarks made in Lok Sabha. The Opposition is planning to intensify their twin protests – against Shah and donation theft – with floor leaders deciding to raise one issue inside Parliament and highlight the other outside. The ruling party has also taken offense to the Opposition's skit on 'Chanda Chori' in front of Makar Dwar in Parliament, where independent MP Pappu Yadav acted as a 'priest' in saffron robes stealing donation and Rahul participating.
The government has listed four bills for consideration in Parliament on Monday as the Monsoon Session enters its third week. According to Business Standard, the agenda includes the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, and the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 for introduction in the Lok Sabha. The government is also likely to introduce the Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill, 2026, which will replace an ordinance, and the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also table a statement showing demands for excess grants for 2022-23. The legislative agenda comes as the government pushes its reform agenda in the third week of the monsoon session, with the session running from July 20 to August 13. The monsoon session has experienced frequent adjournments due to opposition demands related to protests at Jantar Mantar against NEET-UG paper leak, highlighting the challenges in advancing the legislative agenda.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday introduced the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, marking a significant modernization of India's banking evidence laws. The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891, which was enacted in the era of paper-based banking and has become inadequate for contemporary digital practices. As reported by Business Standard, the Statement of Objects and Reasons stated that the 1891 law was enacted "to facilitate the use of certified copies of bank records as evidence in legal proceedings without requiring production of the original records." With the advancement of technology and growth of digital banking, records are now "increasingly created, stored and maintained using contemporary technology," making it necessary "to modernise and strengthen the existing legal framework to meet the requirements of the present banking system." The bill proposes to expand the scope of the definition of 'bankers' books' to include all forms of records maintained by banks, whether in physical, electronic, digital, virtual, cloud-based or any other form, thereby providing a comprehensive, technology-neutral and future-ready legal framework.
The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, seeks to replace the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, with a new legal framework aimed at expanding the Kolkata-based institute's role in statistics and data science. As reported by Business Standard, the Bill proposes to incorporate the ISI as a body corporate, establish an 11-member Board of Governors as its principal policy-making body with a majority of non-government members, and designate the President of India as the Visitor of the institute. The legislation aims to strengthen the institute's governance while promoting academic excellence and research in emerging statistical disciplines. However, Statistics Secretary Saurabh Garg has defended the legislation, arguing that converting the 94-year-old institute from a registered society into a statutory body corporate will unlock long-stalled growth rather than strip it of independence. Faculty members have warned that the Bill could erode institutional autonomy, with Arijit Bishnu, professor at ISI Kolkata, stating that the consequence of the Bill would be fees being introduced, as ISI currently offers free courses and stipends.
The government is expected to introduce the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha in the coming week, as reported by ANI. The agenda also includes seeking the passing of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 20 and seeks to raise the number of judges in the top court from 33 to 37, amending the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The Parliament has already passed The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Prevention Bill, which also got the President's assent, and the Prevention of Insults to Nation Honour (Amendment) bill. The Joint Committee on the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is scheduled to table its report in Parliament today, seeking to amend the Companies Act, 2013 and the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008.
