A proposed law that seeks to remove a Prime Minister, Chief Minister or minister from office after prolonged judicial custody is expected to move forward during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

According to sources, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the legislation is expected to consider the revised draft at its meeting scheduled for July 17 ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is set to begin on July 20.

Proposed provision targets prolonged custody

The proposed legislation provides that if a Prime Minister, Chief Minister or minister is accused of an offence punishable with five years or more of imprisonment and remains in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days, they would cease to hold office from the 31st day.

The proposed legislation was introduced last year and later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after opposition parties raised objections.  The revised version is expected to incorporate recommendations made by the committee before being placed before Parliament.

Opposition raises concerns

Opposition parties have opposed the proposal, arguing that it violates the principles of natural justice because it provides for removal based on detention rather than conviction. They have also raised concerns that the proposal could undermine the federal structure. 

Some opposition leaders on the Joint Parliamentary Committee are expected to submit dissent notes when the committee finalises its report.

Safeguards may be considered

Sources indicated that while the core provision is likely to remain unchanged, the committee may recommend certain safeguards to reduce the possibility of political misuse. These could include narrowing the scope of offences covered under the proposed law.

If approved by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, the revised bill is likely to be introduced during the Monsoon Session beginning later this month. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various central ministries and departments in New Delhi, bringing together the government’s top bureaucrats for discussions on governance and policy priorities.

According to official sources, the meeting was attended by senior officials from across ministries and departments. While specific details of the discussions were not made public, the deliberations were expected to focus on administrative reforms, policy implementation and measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business.

Such interactions between the Prime Minister and senior bureaucrats are considered important for reviewing the progress of key government initiatives and ensuring coordination among ministries on priority programmes.

The meeting comes at a time when the Centre is continuing to push for faster decision-making, improved governance mechanisms and efficient implementation of flagship schemes across sectors. Senior officials are also expected to align their ministries’ priorities with the government’s broader development agenda.

Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has urged residents to ensure that their names remain on the electoral rolls as the state begins a large-scale revision of voter lists.

The Election Commission on Tuesday launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across Karnataka, with booth-level officials set to conduct house-to-house visits until July 29 as part of the verification process.

Addressing concerns over the exercise, Shivakumar stressed the importance of retaining voting rights and warned that people who lose their eligibility as voters could also risk losing access to government welfare benefits.

“The right to vote is the right to live,” the Chief Minister said, adding that some states have already begun verifying welfare beneficiaries through similar exercises.

In a move aimed at helping residents complete the revision process, the Karnataka government has announced the issuance of permanent residential certificates. According to state authorities, these certificates can be obtained both online through the Seva Sindhu portal and offline at designated citizen service centres across the state.

State election officials said the revision exercise will cover more than 5.5 crore electors. Over 59,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), along with thousands of supervisors and electoral officials, have been deployed for the drive. Political parties have also appointed more than 1.1 lakh Booth Level Agents to assist in the process.

Officials clarified that BLOs will distribute enumeration forms to voters whose names were included in the electoral roll as of June 16, 2026. No documents will be collected during the initial enumeration phase, and officials have appealed to citizens to cooperate by receiving, filling and returning the forms.

The Election Commission has said the draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, after which claims and objections can be submitted until September 4. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be released on October 7.