Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin from 21 July, the government has proposed introducing five new Bills, including measures to amend the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Act and the income-tax law, according to the tentative legislative agenda released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Thursday.
The proposed legislative business also includes the consideration and passage of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in addition to the five new pieces of legislation. The agenda is tentative and may change during the session.
Among the proposed legislations, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is expected to be closely watched by the industry. According to the bulletin, the Bill seeks to align the MSME Development Act, 2006, with the changing MSME landscape, strengthen the mechanism for addressing delayed payments to micro and small enterprises, provide for enforcement of arbitral awards involving MSMEs, and introduce flexibility for states to decide the composition of Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils (MSEFCs), thereby enabling the formation of more such councils.
The proposed changes address one of the MSME sector’s longstanding concerns—delayed payments by buyers and aim to strengthen the institutional framework for resolving payment disputes involving micro and small enterprises.
Mint was the first to report on 23 June that the government was working on amendments to the MSME law, which were likely to be introduced during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Queries sent to the Lok Sabha secretariat on Thursday evening were not answered immediately.
Another important Bill likely to be closely watched is the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Bill, which seeks to replace an Ordinance, aims to deepen India’s sovereign debt market, attract stable global capital inflows, and enhance market liquidity in view of the prevailing global macroeconomic environment, marked by geopolitical uncertainties, sharp increases in crude oil prices, and disruptions in global supply chains, the bulletin said.
The proposed legislation is intended to provide statutory backing to the changes introduced through the Ordinance while supporting the government’s efforts to broaden participation in the sovereign debt market.
The month-long Monsoon Session of Parliament will end on 21 August.
Another key proposal is the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court from the present 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. According to the Bulletin, the increase is intended to enhance the court’s capacity to deal with its workload.
The government has also proposed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, as amended in 2023, to make provisions relating to delayed registration more stringent. The proposal follows the 2023 amendments, which created a unified digital civil registration framework, and indicates a renewed focus on ensuring the timely registration of births and deaths.
The fifth proposed legislation is the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The Bulletin does not disclose the proposed amendments. The existing law deals with offences relating to disrespect to the National Flag, the Constitution of India and the National Anthem.
Apart from these new Bills, the tentative agenda includes consideration and passing of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 25 March 2026. The session’s legislative business also includes consideration and passage of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, after the Joint Committee of Parliament’s report is presented to the House.
As per political analysts, the tentative legislative agenda suggests the government is prioritising governance and institutional reforms alongside economic measures. “The proposed Bills span financial markets, MSMEs, judicial capacity and civil administration, indicating a broad-based legislative focus rather than concentration on a single sector,” said Arvind Mohan, former political researcher at Lokniti, the research programme of the Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.
Key takeaways
- Government plans five new Bills for Parliament’s Monsoon Session starting 21 July.
- MSME Bill aims to fix delayed payments and strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms.
- Income-tax Bill seeks to replace an Ordinance and deepen sovereign debt market.
- Supreme Court judges’ sanctioned strength may increase from 33 to 37 total.
- Bill on national honour amendments remains undisclosed; details awaited before session begins.
