Parliament Monsoon Session Day 16 LIVE: The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026′ passed in LS; RS passes The Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026′

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman detailed the 4th component of the Tax Amendment Bill: Excemption to foreign companies storing components for sale to a contract manufacturer of specified electronic goods.

Till now, 2% of tax on gross income over the goods was imposed on the companies. The proposed amendment aims to enable a much larger ecosystem for contract manufacturing of mobile phones, laptops and other electronics in India.

FM Sitharaman said that the excemptioned provided to foreign companies on procuring data services from India is extended till 2047 under the amendment. The expected outcome of is amendment is to enable data centres providing services abroad, and investments for AI data cities in India. 

Addressing the misconceptions that these amendments will benefit only foreign companies, she said that these provisions will benefit Indian cloud services providers in India. “The investments, assets, profit will rest with Indian companies on account of these reforms,” she said. 

“Communists in this country are total cowards,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused CPI (M) member John Brittas. She accused the communists of twisting the truth, and not staying to hear the response.

Opposition members raise slogans in protest as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her response to the house on the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill.

The Deputy Chairman, Harivansh, called upon John Brittas, CPI (M), Kerala, to tell his points. Mr. Brittas said that the Bill was introduced to encourage foreign capital. He alleged that U.S. trade representatives were insistent about bringing charges to UPI. He said that Brazil didn’t yield to the pressure, but India yielded. PM Modi, in 2023, in a G20 meeting said that India’s UPI was brought up as a free public good, Mr. Brittas said. “The current Bill is a violation of the solemn assurance by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Laws are not only for tax experts but also for common people who honestly pay taxes, says, BJP MP Rekhs Sharma.

“The most important aspect of the bill is that the government doesn’t consider taxation merely as a tool for revenue collection,” she says.

“Our taxation policies are also economic, investment and employment policies. It is ultimately about out common man who needs jobs, business and opportunities. Our old taxation is useless and uses difficult language,” she adds.

She adds that when investment comes to India, factories will be set up, which leads to the creation of jobs and opportunities. 

When infrastructure investment increases, roads, warehouses and commercial spaces will expand. When global companies choose India as their manufacturing base, India will no longer remain just a market; the country will become a global manufacturing and investment hub, she adds.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh says that The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is against people who run small businesses and the commoners.

He speaks against the Bill.

He says that small-scale business people switched to cashless payments following the suggestion of PM Narendra Modi.

He says that the Bill is a step against small businesses.

Tamil Nadu’s Economy was in a bad condition during the term of M.K. Stalin-led government, says AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai, in response to DMK MP. P. Wilson’s speech.

He says that he supports The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

“During the DMK period, Stalin visited many countries. How much money was brought to the State.” he asks.

“Nearly 10 Lakh crore was borrowed by the State,” he adds.

DMK MP P. Wilson says that The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is going to be a burden on the people.

Many shops across the country have moved to the digital economy, following the request of the Prime Minister, he says.

Small shops like tea shops, flower vendors and services like autorikshaws now use digital payments, he adds.

He says that the people will go back to cash payments if the government goes against the people with this Bill.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas passes a resolution in the Rajya Sabha on The Income-tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 and The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The House had disapproved the Bill.

He says that the government has to admit on the floor of the House that whatever the government has contemplated in the Union Budget has utterly failed.

He says that everyone was asked by the government to be a part of the digital currency system, but now it is planning to tax them, says the MP.

“The government is saying that the tax applies only to the merchants. Is there any burden imposed on the merchants not passed on to the consumers anywhere in the world,” he asks the Finance Minister.

The Finance Minister wants to indirectly impose tax on the people who are involved in digital payments, Mr. Brittas says.

“Twice the population of the USA is involved in digital payments,” he adds.

The Rajya Sabha passed The Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, through a voice vote.

The Opposition MPs had walked out of the House in protest earlier.

These are the kind of reformatory bills on which the Opposition MPs should take interest and participate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman says as she rises to discuss The Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026’.

She adds that it is a sad state that the Opposition chose to walk out during such an important discussion.

She said that the laws from colonial times should be changed, as the laws of those times were written for the subjects of the Queen.

The existing Act was introduced in 1891.

“India has shown exemplary speed in digitising its economy,” Ms. Sitaraman says.

She adds that banking used to be based on paper, and this bill is of immense importance as banking is now highly based on electronic records.

The MPs of parties like AIADMK, DMDK, BRS, Shiv Sena, etc support the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha.

The MPs appreciate the Bill, saying that this bill is of importance for the evolving Banking sector.

MPs also say that the Bill is important to get rid of the colonial rules in the banking sector.

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026’ passed in the Lok Sabha without voting. The Bill was passed amid huge protests and sloganeering by the Opposition.

Jagatambika Pal tells the Opposition MPs, “When the Home Minister is ready to answer, you are not ready for the discussion.”

Mr. Pal asks the MPs to follow the decorum of the House and take part in the discussion before the House is adjourned for the day.

MoS of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal speaks about the Tribunal Reforms Bill amid the sloganeering of Opposition MPs.

On the chair, Jagadambika Pal requests the Opposition MPs to listen to the Minister silently as the latter is presenting an important reform Bill.

The Opposition MPs keep on chanting “Chor… chor…” (meaning thief).

The Minister moves the Bill for approval.

Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 2.15 p.m. Deputy Chairman tried to call Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to introduce the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, but he adjourned the House after two minutes.

Opposition MPs were protesting, demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must come to the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Home Minister and the Government are ready to answer all the questions raised by the Opposition regarding students’ protest issue.

Mr. Rijiju asked the Opposition MPs not to “run away” in the middle, but to listen to the discussion completely.

The Income Tax department is currently in the process of framing rules to implement the 2026-27 Budget provision that allows taxpayers to apply electronically for lower or nil TDS certificates, Parliament was informed today.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said Section 395(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 provides for the issuance of certificates for deduction of tax at source at Nil or lower rates. Vide Finance Act, 2026, to ease the compliance burden of small taxpayers, an option has been enabled for the payee to file the application for issuance of certificates for lower or nil deduction of income-tax electronically and the certificate may be issued or rejected subject to fulfilment of conditions as may be prescribed.

“… the enabling rule is currently under preparation and shall be notified in due course,” Mr. Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

-PTI

A delegation of NCP (SP) MPs, led by the party’s working president Supriya Sule, today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed various issues related to Maharashtra.

All eight Lok Sabha MPs of the NCP (SP) were present during the meeting with the Prime Minister.

“We have discussed Maharashtra issues,” Ms. Sule said.

Sources said the NCP (SP) MPs raised with the prime minister issues related to their respective constituencies, such as drought, onion prices, pollution in the Chandrabhaga river, among others.

The contentious FCRA Amendments Bill did not figure in the meeting, which lasted for about 15 minutes.

-PTI

Congress General Secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal says, “Speaker contacted us; we told very clearly that we will not agree to JPC.”

He said that there is no point in the JPC Bill and the Bill has to be withdrawn.

AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said the Congress and other opposition parties would strongly protest the proposed FCRA Bill if the Centre introduced it in Parliament.

He also asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to answer questions on the use of force against students during protests against the NEET paper leak.

Speaking to reporters, Alappuzha MP accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah of avoiding questions and not appearing in Parliament due to fear of facing them.

“If the Central Government thinks they can cook up and introduce the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill within these two or three days, they should keep that wish to themselves,” he said.

Mr. Venugopal alleged that the proposed legislation targeted minorities and NGOs and said the opposition would not allow it to be passed.

-PTI

The Government has agreed to discuss students protest in the Parliament and Home Minister Amit Shah is ready to reply, said Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of India.

– Saurabh Trivedi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday asserted that the deadlock between the opposition and the government in Parliament will continue till Union Home Minister Amit Shah makes a statement over alleged police excesses on students.

With only four days of the Monsoon session remaining, the fate of major bills on women’s reservation, delimitation and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) remains uncertain amid the ongoing logjam in Parliament.

None of these Bills figured in the list of business for the Lok Sabha for Monday.

“I think the deadlock in Parliament will continue till the Union Home Minister gives a statement,” Ms. Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

-PTI

With protests from the Opposition, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. 

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 p.m. on Monday amid noisy protest by the Opposition, which is seeking a response from the government on police action on protesting students and alleged theft of Ram temple donations. 

Lok Sabha proceedings have witnessed repeated disruptions all throughout the Monsoon Session with six out of eight bills being passed by the House without a debate. Monday was the 16th day when the House could not complete the Question Hour, which is held between 11 am and 12 noon. 

Four Bills were introduced — The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026, the Minerals and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 and The National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. 

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday introduced the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026. 

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was also introduced in the House by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. 

Opposition MPs, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, protested in Parliament House complex on Monday over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the “police excesses” against student protesters.

They demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah must come to Parliament and make a statement on the alleged police excesses during the July 20 student protest over the paper leak issue.

Carrying placards against the government, the MPs protested in front of the Makar Dwar of Parliament with slogans such as ‘chhanda chor, gaddi chor’, ‘Amit Shah jawaab do’ and ‘chanda chor kahan milenge, BJP ke daftar mein’.

The MPs also kept a donation box at the spot to symbolise the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and lined up around them to raise slogans against the government.

The Opposition MPs, mostly from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, lined up behind a big banner that read ‘Amit Shah jawaab do”, and raised slogans against the Home Minister.

The INDIA bloc has vowed to corner the government on issues of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and the use of “brutal force” against students during their protests last week.

-PTI

Lok Sabha proceedings resume amid protests. 

Amid protests from the Opposition demanding discussion on various issues, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishna adjourned the House till 12 p.m. 

Rajya Sabha proceedings begin. 

Papers are being laid on the table. 

Amid protests from the Opposition over various issues, M.P. N.K. Premachandran, who was in the Chair, adjourned Lok Sabha till 12 p.m.

The Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up the introduction of several key bills on Monday, including the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. 

As per the list of business, the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, will be introduced by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The Bill seeks to improve the functioning of tribunals and ensure transparency and uniformity in the appointment and service conditions of tribunal members. It also proposes setting up a National Tribunals Commission. 

The House will also take up the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy will move for leave to introduce the Bill, which seeks to further amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. 

-ANI