Historic Setbacks and Legislative Highs: A Tumultuous Ending to the Parliamentary Budget Session

The recent budget session, under the Modi government, concluded with notable events including the defeat of a Constitution Amendment Bill for women's reservation. While the session passed several key legislations and achieved significant productivity, contentious debates and protests from the opposition marked its progression.

The recent budget session of Parliament ended in tumultuous fashion, featuring an unprecedented defeat of a crucial Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures by 2029. Despite this setback, the session was marked by the passage of key legislations such as The Jan Vishwas Bill, and the approval of the Union budget for 2026-27.

The proceedings were characterized by high tensions between the government and opposition, who vocally opposed several bills and moved for the removal of Speaker Om Birla and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, though both motions were defeated. Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi was unable to address the motion of thanks to the President due to persistent opposition protests.

While Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha achieved productivity rates of 93 per cent and 110 per cent respectively, the special three-day parliamentary sitting was extended to discuss women's reservation, ultimately leading to the bill's failure. This session highlighted the ongoing political tensions and served as a pivotal moment in parliamentary history.

(With inputs from agencies.)