India's Budget Session 2026: Lok Sabha Adjourns Until March 9

The first phase of India's 2026 Budget Session has concluded, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to reconvene on March 9 following a three-week recess. This period will permit parliamentary standing committees to scrutinise various ministry budget allocations. The session began on January 28 with a joint address by President Droupadi Murmu to both Houses.

During its proceedings, the Lok Sabha experienced significant turmoil, primarily regarding the interim trade deal with the United States and the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief M. M. Naravane. Tensions escalated on February 2 when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was barred from quoting Naravane’s memoir, which led to disorderly conduct and multiple adjournments. As a consequence, seven members from the Congress party and one from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were suspended for their conduct, which included climbing on tables and throwing paper.

Speaker Om Birla faced considerable challenges and opted not to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi present when responding to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, out of concern for maintaining order. Instead, the Prime Minister addressed a similar debate in the Rajya Sabha.

The opposition has also submitted a resolution seeking Birla's removal as Speaker, which will likely be discussed in the second part of the session starting March 9. Birla has stated that the disruptions have resulted in a loss of over 19 hours of parliamentary time, which he described as regrettable.

Debate on the Union Budget featured sharp exchanges, particularly between Gandhi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Gandhi accused the ruling government of compromising India's interests with the trade agreement with the U.S., while Sitharaman countered by highlighting historical missteps of the Congress party regarding international trade policies.

In addition to the uproar over trade discussions, Parliament successfully passed a Bill amending the Industrial Relations Code, aimed at providing clarity on legal provisions previously replaced by the 2020 Code. This marked the session's first legislative success. The Budget Session is scheduled to conclude on April 2, 2026.