The 2026 monsoon session of the Indian Parliament was marked by low functioning time but a high volume of bill passage, raising questions about the lack of debate and discussion before legislation was passed.

The 25-day session, held from 20 July to 13 August, was also marked by intense protests by opposition members over key national issues, including allegations surrounding exam paper leaks. An analysis by PRS Legislative Research shows that frequent disruptions curtailed debate and halted Question Hour, yet 12 key bills were passed, most within minutes.

Decades low

The Lok Sabha functioned for 17.5 hours, roughly equivalent to a little more than two regular working days. This was the lowest level of functioning in the lower house in more than two decades. The Rajya Sabha performed slightly better, clocking roughly twice as much time as the Lok Sabha. However, this was also its lowest level of functioning since the Budget session of 2023 and its lowest in a monsoon session since 2021.

From the 2019 budget session to the monsoon session of 2026, parliamentary functioning has fluctuated significantly. Of the seven monsoon sessions considered in the analysis, several recorded low productivity. The highest recorded during this period was 58.1 hours for the Lok Sabha in the 2020 monsoon session and 55 hours for the Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session of 2023.

Less than an hour

A minute-by-minute breakdown of Parliament’s daily functioning by PRS Legislative Research shows the extent of disruption in the lower house. The Lok Sabha functioned for less than an hour on nearly 90% of its sitting days. It managed one to two hours of work on 5.3% of days and more than six hours on just 5.3% of days.

The Rajya Sabha performed relatively better but still suffered significant time losses. It functioned for less than an hour on nearly half of its sitting days. It sat for one to two hours on 31.6% of days, three to four hours on 10.5%, five hours on 5.3%, and more than six hours on 5.3% of days.

Passed in minutes

Despite disruptions and repeated adjournments, the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills during its 17.5 hours of functioning. Most were passed in under 15 minutes, without substantive discussion.

The only bill to receive relatively more consideration was the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment, aimed at strengthening laws against exam paper leaks following student protests that resulted in the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The bill seeking to extend equal statutory legal protection to India’s national song, Vande Mataram, was next, with 14 minutes of consideration. Bills related to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), taxes, and birth and death registrations were passed in just two to three minutes.

Efficiency or rubber-stamping?

Despite severe disruptions, the 2026 monsoon session recorded one of the highest rates of bill passage in recent years, with 11 of the 12 bills introduced being passed during the same session. All were cleared by voice vote amid disruptions and sloganeering.

The numbers could point to efficiency. But passing legislation within minutes, often without substantive debate, raises questions about the quality of parliamentary scrutiny. The ruling coalition’s majority in the lower house makes passage of ordinary statutory amendments easier, while opposition disruptions and walkouts gave government members greater procedural control of the floor

No time for questions

The 2026 monsoon session also saw a dramatic decline in the share of starred questions answered orally in Parliament. Only 1% were answered orally in the Lok Sabha and 6% in the Rajya Sabha—just two questions in the lower house and 16 in the upper house.

Parliament’s track record on oral answers has been abysmally low. In 2021, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha answered 21% of starred questions orally. While the Rajya Sabha’s share peaked at 28% in 2023, the Lok Sabha saw a steady decline, from 14% in 2022 to 8% in 2025.

The 2026 monsoon session of the Indian Parliament was marked by low functioning time but a high volume of bill passage, raising questions about the lack of debate and discussion before legislation was passed.

The 25-day session, held from 20 July to 13 August, was also marked by intense protests by opposition members over key national issues, including allegations surrounding exam paper leaks. An analysis by PRS Legislative Research shows that frequent disruptions curtailed debate and halted Question Hour, yet 12 key bills were passed, most within minutes.

Decades low

The Lok Sabha functioned for 17.5 hours, roughly equivalent to a little more than two regular working days. This was the lowest level of functioning in the lower house in more than two decades. The Rajya Sabha performed slightly better, clocking roughly twice as much time as the Lok Sabha. However, this was also its lowest level of functioning since the Budget session of 2023 and its lowest in a monsoon session since 2021.

From the 2019 budget session to the monsoon session of 2026, parliamentary functioning has fluctuated significantly. Of the seven monsoon sessions considered in the analysis, several recorded low productivity. The highest recorded during this period was 58.1 hours for the Lok Sabha in the 2020 monsoon session and 55 hours for the Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session of 2023.

Less than an hour

A minute-by-minute breakdown of Parliament’s daily functioning by PRS Legislative Research shows the extent of disruption in the lower house. The Lok Sabha functioned for less than an hour on nearly 90% of its sitting days. It managed one to two hours of work on 5.3% of days and more than six hours on just 5.3% of days.

The Rajya Sabha performed relatively better but still suffered significant time losses. It functioned for less than an hour on nearly half of its sitting days. It sat for one to two hours on 31.6% of days, three to four hours on 10.5%, five hours on 5.3%, and more than six hours on 5.3% of days.

Passed in minutes

Despite disruptions and repeated adjournments, the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills during its 17.5 hours of functioning. Most were passed in under 15 minutes, without substantive discussion.

The only bill to receive relatively more consideration was the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment, aimed at strengthening laws against exam paper leaks following student protests that resulted in the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The bill seeking to extend equal statutory legal protection to India’s national song, Vande Mataram, was next, with 14 minutes of consideration. Bills related to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), taxes, and birth and death registrations were passed in just two to three minutes.

Efficiency or rubber-stamping?

Despite severe disruptions, the 2026 monsoon session recorded one of the highest rates of bill passage in recent years, with 11 of the 12 bills introduced being passed during the same session. All were cleared by voice vote amid disruptions and sloganeering.

The numbers could point to efficiency. But passing legislation within minutes, often without substantive debate, raises questions about the quality of parliamentary scrutiny. The ruling coalition’s majority in the lower house makes passage of ordinary statutory amendments easier, while opposition disruptions and walkouts gave government members greater procedural control of the floor

No time for questions

The 2026 monsoon session also saw a dramatic decline in the share of starred questions answered orally in Parliament. Only 1% were answered orally in the Lok Sabha and 6% in the Rajya Sabha—just two questions in the lower house and 16 in the upper house.

Parliament’s track record on oral answers has been abysmally low. In 2021, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha answered 21% of starred questions orally. While the Rajya Sabha’s share peaked at 28% in 2023, the Lok Sabha saw a steady decline, from 14% in 2022 to 8% in 2025.