Parliament functions for 31 days in Budget Session 2026, nine Bills passed

The Budget Session of Parliament 2026, which began on January 28 and concluded on April 18, saw both Houses function for a total of 31 days. Originally scheduled to end on April 2, the session was extended to accommodate discussions and passage of key legislation, including Bills linked to delimitation.

The Lok Sabha functioned for about 86% of its scheduled time, while the Rajya Sabha recorded a higher productivity level at 92%, data shared by PRS Legislative Research showed. However, disruptions persisted. On nine days, the Lok Sabha functioned for less than 20% of its scheduled time, reflecting uneven utilisation despite extended sittings toward the end of the session.

Limited budget scrutiny

The Union Budget was discussed in the Lok Sabha for 10 days. Budgets of five ministries—Railways, Agriculture, Home Affairs, External Affairs, and Power—were listed for deliberation, but only Agriculture and Railways were actually discussed. As a result, nearly 77% of the budget was passed without detailed debate, with less than 25% of expenditure examined before approval in 2026–27.

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Legislative activity

On the legislative front, a total of nine Bills were passed by both Houses during the session. These included key measures such as the Finance Bill, 2026, Appropriation Bills, and amendments related to industrial relations, insolvency, and transgender rights.

In total, 12 Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha, while one Bill was withdrawn. Legislative activity remained back-loaded, with most Bills passed in the final weeks. Several were cleared within a short time frame—some within days of introduction—highlighting concerns around limited scrutiny. Notably, only one Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was referred to a parliamentary committee.

The session was extended by three days to take up three key Bills, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aimed to enable women’s reservation through delimitation. However, the Bill failed to secure the required majority after over 21 hours of discussion across two days. As a result, related legislation could not proceed further.

Business and Question hours

Private Members’ Business remained largely underutilised. While the Rajya Sabha spent over three hours discussing such business across two days, the Lok Sabha did not take up any. Around 50 Private Members’ Bills were introduced in the Rajya Sabha, but no resolutions were discussed in either House.

Question Hour performance also showed gaps. In 12 days, less than 15 minutes were spent on Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, limiting opportunities for executive accountability.

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Other key developments

The session also saw the passage of supplementary demands for grants, along with discussions on the functioning of key ministries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed both Houses on the evolving West Asia conflict, adding a geopolitical dimension to the proceedings.

Overall, while Parliament functioned for 31 days and cleared key financial and legislative business, the session reflected a mixed picture — marked by extended sittings and output on one hand, and limited debate, compressed lawmaking, and procedural gaps on the other.

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