New Delhi: The seventh session of the 18th Lok Sabha concluded on Saturday after nearly three months of legislative business, with Speaker Om Birla highlighting high productivity and extensive participation by members.
The session, which began on January 28, recorded a total of 31 sittings and ran for over 151 hours. According to the Speaker, the House achieved an overall productivity of 93 percent, reflecting steady proceedings despite a packed agenda.
At the outset, members of both Houses were addressed by Droupadi Murmu. The Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address was discussed for nearly three hours, setting the tone for the session.
A major highlight was the presentation of the Union Budget for 2026–27 by Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. The budget sparked a detailed general discussion lasting around 13 hours, with over 60 members participating. The Finance Minister later responded to the debate.
The House also took up and approved demands for grants of several ministries in March, followed by the passage of the Appropriation Bill and the Finance Bill, completing the budgetary process.
In terms of legislation, 12 government bills were introduced during the session, out of which nine were passed. These included amendments related to industrial relations, insolvency laws, and protections for transgender persons, among others.
One of the most extensive debates took place on three major proposals, including a constitutional amendment and delimitation-related legislation, which saw over 130 members participating in discussions lasting more than 21 hours. However, the constitutional amendment bill did not secure passage.
The session also witnessed a statement by Narendra Modi on the evolving situation in West Asia, underlining its implications for India.
Parliamentary activity remained robust, with 126 starred questions answered orally and hundreds of issues raised during Zero Hour and under Rule 377. Several committee reports were presented, and thousands of official documents were laid on the table.
Additionally, a focused debate on efforts to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism was held, drawing participation from multiple members and concluding with a response from the Home Minister.
The Speaker also noted a technological milestone achieved during the session, with India’s 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor reaching criticality. Multilingual participation was another highlight, as members spoke in 18 Indian languages with real-time interpretation.
With substantial legislative output and wide-ranging discussions, the session marked an active phase of parliamentary functioning.
