New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha is set for a busy Monsoon Session beginning from July 20, with the Union government unveiling a tentative Legislative agenda that places judicial reforms, taxation measures and support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at the forefront.

According to the Parliamentary Bulletin issued on Thursday, Members will deliberate on five new Bills, alongside key pending legislation, covering areas such as the expansion of the Supreme Court’s strength, amendments to income tax provisions, reforms in the MSME sector, stricter birth and death registration norms, and changes to the law on national honour, reflecting the Government’s broad reform priorities.

The bulletin announced that Rukmini Mallik, Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal, has resigned from the House. Her resignation has been accepted by the Upper House Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan with effect from Thursday, resulting in the vacation of her seat, it added.

Importantly, five new Bills are expected to be introduced during the session. These include the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, intended to replace an Ordinance and deepen India’s sovereign debt market; the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing an increase in the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India); the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to tighten provisions relating to delayed registration; the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at improving the ease of doing business, addressing delayed payments, strengthening arbitration enforcement, and reforming MSME facilitation councils.

Among the major bills is Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. It is currently pending in the Lok Sabha. It seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. The Bill will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha after it is passed by the Lok Sabha.

The Union government also plans to consider the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, once the report of the Joint Committee of Parliament is presented and the Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha.

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen higher education by promoting institutional autonomy and improving standards in teaching, research and innovation. It also aims to pave the way for establishing a Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.

According to the Bulletin, the financial business of the House will include consideration and return of the Appropriation Bill relating to Demands for Excess Grants for the Financial Year 2022–23.

–IANS

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