Monsoon session of Parliament to begin from July 18

The monsoon session of the Parliament will be held from July 18 to August 10 for 18 days, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Monday.

The CCPA, chaired by Home Minister Rajanth Singh, met in New Delhi today to recommend the dates. The President will now formally convene the session. The session will have nearly 18 sittings, Ananth Kumar told reporters here.

The government plans to pass the Constitution (123rd) Amendment Bill, 2017, in the monsoon session of Parliament, which seeks to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

"We seek the support and cooperation of opposition parties. There are many important items on the legislative agenda that the government wants to take up in the Monsoon session," Kumar said.

More than six ordinances will be taken up, he said. The triple talaq bill, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is pending in the Rajya Sabha, will be among the top priorities of the government, the minister added. He said the government will push for constitutional status for the National Commission for OBCs.

The National Commission for Medical Education Bill and the transgender bill will also be taken up.

With P J Kurien's term ending at the end of this month, the election to choose the deputy chairman for the Rajya Sabha will be taken up in this session, Kumar said.