The Parliament session during the monsoon period concluded on Thursday, after which both houses were adjourned indefinitely. These weeks were marked by legislative work, opposition protests, and repeated adjournments caused by demonstrations outside Jantar Mantar and other political disagreements.
The final morning in Lok Sabha was very brief. Members of Parliament gathered for only three minutes and ten seconds; all six verses of 'Vande Mataram' were sung, MPs, including the Prime Minister, stood at attention, and Speaker Om Birla declared the house adjourned indefinitely.
The closing sessions took place against the backdrop of familiar slogans: the opposition shouted 'apologize, apologize' and 'who ordered the use of batons?', while Home Minister Amit Shah entered the hall. Birla also omitted his usual concluding remarks on the effectiveness of the House's work, highlighting the dominance of procedural disruptions throughout the session.
In the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge made remarks regarding the dispute over 'Suddhikaran' in Haldwani, followed by clarification and condemnation of the incident by J.P. Nadda.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Adjourned Indefinitely
Speaker Om Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha indefinitely at 11:06 AM, after which the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned, marking the end of the 19-day Monsoon Session. The session was scheduled from July 20 to August 13. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had previously stated that the government wished for the Houses to see 'significant debates, discussions, and decisions on matters of national importance.'
However, the concluding events occurred amid an ongoing deadlock over the opposition's demand for a government response to police actions against students protesting the NEET scandal.
Rijiju Points to Low Productivity of Parliament
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju noted that 12 bills were passed during the Monsoon Session but admitted that parliamentary discussions remained limited. He stated: 'It was a good session... we passed 13 bills; but in terms of discussions, it was not a good session.' He added that the productivity of the Lok Sabha was 19%, compared to 39% in the Rajya Sabha. Furthermore, he accused the opposition of evading debates despite the government's willingness to discuss issues.
Six Verses of 'Vande Mataram' Sung in Lok Sabha
On the last day of the Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha proceedings began with the singing of all six verses of 'Vande Mataram' on Thursday, a first for the Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders were present. This move followed new directives from the Union Home Ministry regarding the protocol for the National Song. During the session, Parliament also passed a bill on preventing insult to national dignity (amendment), which provides legislative protection to national symbols.
Kharge Raises Issue of 'Purification' in Rajya Sabha
Congress President and Opposition Leader in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, used the last day to raise the issue of a supposed 'purification' ritual at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani following his public address there. Kharge stated: 'I was in Haldwani, where I gave a public speech at Ramlila Maidan. There were thousands of people. At that time, I did not mention the names of any communities or religions; I only reiterated the Government's problems. But after my speech, people from Bharatiya Janata Party conducted a 'havan' there to 'purify' the scene... Is this the path of democracy? How do you protect the Constitution? I am the opposition leader.'
Union Minister J.P. Nadda responded that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not support such an act and stated that it would be investigated. Nadda said: 'Bharatiya Janata Party does not approve of such actions. Never. But we are investigating this. I assure you that what happened there will definitely be investigated,' adding that he condemned the incident.
Modi and Shah Attended Session Closing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the closing events, as the dispute over student protests remained a dominant unresolved political issue. The opposition demanded a statement from Shah and his presence in Parliament regarding the police action during the student march to Parliament on July 20.
On Wednesday, Shah stated that the government was ready for detailed discussion. 'Regarding the discussion, Kiren Rijiju, our Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has made it clear that the government is ready to discuss every aspect of the NEET student protests,' Shah said. He added: 'On my part, I also said that I am ready to answer any question in Parliament. But they don't even want the discussion to happen. Now let the public decide who is running away.'
Rahul Gandhi rejected this proposal, stating that the opposition was not interested in 'Amit Shah's lecture,' and questioned who ordered the use of force against protesting students.
Legislation: 12 Introduced, 11 Approved by Both Houses
According to PRS Legislative Research, 12 bills were introduced during the Monsoon Session, of which 10 were approved by both houses. Key legislation covered public examinations, national dignity, birth and death registration, Supreme Court, MSMEs, taxation, tribunals, cooperative development, the name of Kerala, and mineral extraction.
The bill on public examinations (amendment to prevent malpractice) generated the most debate, lasting 17 hours and 34 minutes in both houses. Several other bills were passed with limited discussion, including bills on birth and death registration for four minutes each, and on Supreme Court judges.
NEET protests and political struggle dominated the session. The NEET scandal and police action against protesting students became the central theme of the Monsoon Session, as the opposition demanded debates on alleged exam irregularities, the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and accountability for the crackdown on July 20. Repeated protests led to delays, while the government claimed readiness to discuss. However, the opposition linked any debate to responsibility for the alleged police actions. The issue remained unresolved by the end of the session. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi asked: 'Who shot the students? Who ordered the students to be beaten with batons?'
Broader Legislative and Political Impact
Beyond the NEET confrontation, the session resulted in the passage of a wide package of legislative measures. Parliament approved an amendment to the Supreme Court Act (number of judges), increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges, excluding the Chief Justice, from 33 to 37; as well as amendments on MSME development, tax amendments, tribunal reform law, the Kerala renaming law, an amendment to the National Cooperative Development Corporation, and the mining and mineral industry law.
The Kerala law was among the last measures passed, receiving approval from the Lok Sabha on August 11 and the Rajya Sabha on August 12. The mining and mineral industry law was approved by the Rajya Sabha on the final day. The bill amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act became another major political issue. Instead of being passed, it was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed study amid opposition demands for its withdrawal.
