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The first day of the session will see President Droupadi Murmu address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, a constitutional convention that marks the beginning of Parliament’s first session each year. Both Houses will remain adjourned on January 29 due to the Beating Retreat ceremony.
Parliament is scheduled to reconvene on January 30, when the Economic Survey for 2024–25 is expected to be tabled in both Houses. There will be no sittings on January 31. The Union Budget is slated for presentation on February 1, which falls on a Sunday this year.
Following initial debates on the President’s Address and the Budget, Parliament is expected to adjourn on February 13 for a recess of nearly a month. The session will resume on March 9 and is likely to conclude on April 2. Officials noted that while Parliament typically adjourns on a Friday, the proposed end date has been advanced by a day as April 3 is Good Friday, followed by a weekend.
The mid-session recess is a standard feature of the Budget Session, allowing Parliamentary Standing Committees to scrutinise the demands for grants of various ministries and departments. Their reports form the basis for detailed discussions when Parliament reconvenes.
The upcoming session follows a politically charged Winter Session held from December 1 to December 19, during which eight Bills, including the contentious VB-G RAM G Bill, were passed by both Houses. Two other Bills were referred to parliamentary committees. The passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill triggered sharp protests from opposition parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress, whose MPs staged an overnight protest inside Parliament.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the government’s legislative agenda during the Winter Session, alleging that debates were used to distort historical narratives and undermine national icons. Opposition parties are expected to carry forward these objections into the Budget Session, setting the stage for robust debates on economic policy, social welfare schemes, and legislative priorities.
With the Union Budget approaching amid slowing global growth and domestic economic challenges, the Budget Session is expected to be closely watched for policy signals on fiscal consolidation, welfare spending, and infrastructure investment.
