Parliament Functioning in Monsoon Session 2025

Lok Sabha functioned for 29% of its scheduled time, Rajya Sabha for 34%

• Both Houses functioned for about a third of their scheduled time.  This was the lowest functioning seen during the 18^th Lok Sabha.

• The functioning days were marked by disruptions.  The House would repeatedly get adjourned during the day only to meet for a few minutes before adjourning again.  This can be seen in the charts below.

Note: FS is First Session, BS is Budget Session, MS is Monsoon Session, and WS is Winter Session. 

Note: The shaded areas represent functioning hours of the House, and white areas indicate House was adjourned during the period.

Less than 10% of starred questions answered orally in both Houses

• No questions were answered orally on 12 days in Rajya Sabha and seven days in Lok Sabha.  Ministers gave oral response to 8% of starred questions in Lok Sabha, and 5% of starred questions in Rajya Sabha.  When questions are answered orally, MPs can ask supplementary questions. 

Note: Question Hour was not held during MS 2020 and FS 2024.*17^th LS Budget Session.

Limited discussion on Bills before passing; five Bills referred to Committees

Note: *Till Monsoon Session 2025

Note: DRSC stands for Departmentally Related Standing Committees.

• 13 Bills were introduced during the session (excluding appropriation Bills).  Three were referred to Joint Committees, and two were referred to Select Committees of Lok Sabha.  The other eight were passed within the session.

• Usually, Bills are examined by Departmentally Related Standing Committees.  During the 17^th Lok Sabha, of the 30 Bills referred to Committees, 24 Bills were referred to Standing Committees, five to Joint Committees, and one to a Select Committee.

• The Select Committee of Lok Sabha presented its report on the Income-Tax Bill, 2025.  The Bill was later withdrawn.  Instead, a new Bill, the Income Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025 was introduced and passed on the same day in Lok Sabha, without any discussion.

• 14 Bills were passed by Both Houses (excluding finance and appropriation Bills).  Many of these Bills were passed with limited discussion.  Some were passed within a week of introduction (see Table).

Time allocated and actual time spent on discussing and passing Bills

Note: *Days to pass is the number of days between introduction in the first House and passing in the second House. 
**The Bill was withdrawn and replaced by Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025. 

50% of functioning time of Lok Sabha spent on discussing Operation Sindoor

• Operation Sindoor was discussed for about 19 hours in Lok Sabha and 16 hours in Rajya Sabha.  It comprised about half the total functioning time of Lok Sabha and more than a third of the functioning time of Rajya Sabha. 

• A motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma (currently a judge of the Allahabad High Court) was admitted by the Lok Sabha Speaker.  A three-member committee has been constituted to examine the issue.

No private members’ business taken up in either House

Note: * indicates a term shorter than five years; ** indicates a six-year term

• Every Friday, two and a half hours are reserved for private members’ (MPs who are not Ministers) Bills and resolutions.  No private members’ business was held in either House during this session.  Private member Bills have not been introduced or discussed for over a year in Lok Sabha.

No Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha since June 2019

• The 18^th Lok Sabha has not yet elected a Deputy Speaker.  The 17^th Lok Sabha did not elect a Deputy Speaker in its entire five year term.  The Constitution requires Lok Sabha to choose a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker as soon as possible.

• The Deputy Speaker acts as the Speaker in case of a vacancy or absence of Speaker due to ill health.  No confidence motions against the Speaker are also submitted to the Deputy Speaker.

Sources: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Lists of Business, Bulletins; Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Statistical Statement 2023, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; Reports of the Business Advisory Committee; PRS.