The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday with the Centre and the Opposition preparing for sharp confrontations over several political and legislative issues. The session will have 19 sittings and is scheduled to continue until August 13.

Several controversial bills, political developments and national issues are expected to dominate proceedings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to address the media before Parliament convenes.

Opposition targets NCPI over recognition issue

One of the major flashpoints is the recognition of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), which has drawn criticism from Opposition parties.

The Opposition staged a symbolic walkout during an all-party meeting after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju invited NCPI representatives. Opposition leaders alleged the party is acting as a platform for 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs, arguing that the Lok Sabha Speaker has not yet formally approved their merger with the NCPI.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned the legitimacy of the group’s recognition, while Speaker Om Birla has allowed the rebel MPs to sit separately until a decision on the merger is taken.

Responding to the criticism, Kiren Rijiju described the walkout as symbolic and said no Member of Parliament could be denied participation based on numerical strength. NCPI chief Sudip Bandyopadhyay defended the party, describing it as a secular organisation committed to communal harmony.

NDA numbers under focus

The political significance of the merger also extends to the strength of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha.

The NDA currently has 298 members in the 540-member House, where three seats remain vacant. If the Speaker approves the merger of the 20 rebel MPs with the NCPI, the alliance’s tally would increase to 318, bringing it closer to the two-thirds majority mark of 360 seats.

Key bills likely to dominate the session

The government is expected to introduce and debate several important bills during the session.

Among them is the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats while implementing 33 per cent reservation for women. The proposal was defeated earlier this year after Opposition parties raised concerns over the delimitation process, with parties such as the DMK arguing it could reduce the political representation of southern states.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is also expected to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The legislation seeks to replace an ordinance and increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37.

Another closely watched proposal is the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, which aims to establish a designated authority to manage and dispose of foreign assets. The bill also proposes stricter provisions for cancelling the FCRA registrations of NGOs after expiry of their certificates.

Opposition plans to raise NEET and Ayodhya issues

Apart from legislative business, the Opposition is expected to raise several national issues during the session.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion on the NEET-UG paper leak. Opposition parties are also expected to raise allegations related to the reported theft of offerings from the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

Ahead of the session, Speaker Om Birla urged all political parties to ensure that debates remain constructive throughout the proceedings.

Activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk has said he will end his hunger strike only if three conditions are fulfilled, days after being shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital following concerns over his deteriorating health.

In a handwritten letter shared from the hospital, where he alleged he was being kept under “illegal detention”, Wangchuk outlined three demands that he said must be met before he agrees to end his fast.

Wangchuk lists three conditions

According to the letter, Wangchuk’s first condition is that the government should accept responsibility for what he described as failures in the education system, particularly the alleged NEET question paper leaks.

His second demand is for political leaders to assure him that the paper leak issue will be raised in Parliament.

As his third condition, Wangchuk said senior political leaders should visit him at Safdarjung Hospital and personally assure him regarding the first two demands if his health does not permit him to participate in the planned Parliament march.

The activist also wrote that his “freedom of movement, speech, and all communication are restricted” during what he described as his “illegal detention”.

Hunger strike began over education issues

Wangchuk, who has frequently campaigned on issues concerning Ladakh and education reforms, joined a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 28 seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak issue.

He has remained on a hunger strike for more than 20 days as part of the protest.

On the morning of July 18, the 21st day of his fast, Delhi Police shifted him from the protest site to Safdarjung Hospital after doctors reportedly warned that his condition had become critical, with concerns about possible organ failure. The move also came after the Delhi High Court directed authorities to take all necessary steps to protect his life.

Delhi High Court declines interim relief

Meanwhile, Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, approached the Delhi High Court seeking permission to shift him to a private hospital.

However, Justice Mini Pushkarna declined to grant interim relief, observing that the authorities were within their rights to move Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital since he had not admitted himself despite his worsening health.

The court also noted that doctors were closely monitoring his condition and administering oral medication with his consent, adding that there was no evidence of force or violation of his autonomy at this stage.

Senior advocate Vivek Tankha said Angmo is expected to challenge the order before a division bench of the Delhi High Court and seek an urgent hearing.

Large parts of Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness widespread rainfall over the next 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting rain or thundershowers across most parts of the state. The weather department has also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in several regions along with thunderstorms and lightning.

IMD issues heavy rain warning for West and East Uttar Pradesh

According to the IMD, isolated places in West Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours. In East Uttar Pradesh, heavy rainfall is expected at a few places, while isolated locations may experience very heavy rainfall.

The department has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning at a few places across the state during this period.

Lucknow likely to witness rain and thunderstorms

For Lucknow and nearby areas, the IMD has predicted an overcast sky with intermittent rain and thundershowers on Sunday.

The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 29 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to be 26 degrees Celsius. The weather office has also warned of thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rainfall at isolated locations in and around the city.

Hindon river flows above danger mark in Noida

The ongoing wet spell has also affected river levels in western Uttar Pradesh.

In Gautam Buddh Nagar district, the Central Water Commission (CWC) issued a warning after the Hindon river in Noida crossed the danger mark. According to the commission’s bulletin issued at 6:52 pm, the river level stood at 196.16 metres at 6 pm, which is 0.16 metres above the danger level of 196.0 metres.

The water level was rising at a rate of 40.01 mm per hour and remained 1.12 metres below the highest flood level of 197.28 metres, recorded on July 26, 2023. The commission said the river was flowing between the danger mark and the highest flood level.

Rainfall recorded across several districts

Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was 2.5 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 27.9 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal. The city received only a trace of rainfall between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm.

Among the major weather stations, Banda recorded the highest rainfall at 70.8 mm, followed by Hamirpur (45 mm), Ghazipur (41.6 mm) and Churk in Sonbhadra (29.4 mm).

Other rainfall figures included Jhansi (9.8 mm), Barabanki (9 mm), Ballia (6.1 mm), Bareilly (5.4 mm), Orai (4.2 mm), Shahjahanpur (2 mm), Prayagraj (1.6 mm), Fursatganj (0.8 mm), Gorakhpur and Moradabad (0.4 mm each) and Bahraich (0.2 mm).

Meanwhile, stations including Kanpur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Agra, Ayodhya, Sultanpur and Basti did not record any rainfall during the observation period.

Monsoon keeps temperatures below normal

The prevailing monsoon conditions kept daytime temperatures below normal in many parts of Uttar Pradesh. However, parts of the Bundelkhand region continued to record maximum temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius despite the ongoing rainy spell.