President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for the Budget Session 2026 of Parliament to be convened from January 28, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced on Friday.
Sharing the update on X, Rijiju said the session will run till April 2, with proceedings divided into two phases. The first leg will conclude on February 13, after which Parliament will break and reconvene on March 9.
“On the recommendation of the Govt. of India, President of India, Droupadi Murmu ji has approved the summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for the Budget Session 2026. The Session will commence on 28 January 2026 and continue till 2 April 2026. The first phase concludes on 13 February 2026, with Parliament reassembling on 9 March 2026, a vital step towards meaningful debate and people-centric governance,” he wrote on X.
President’s address, budget scrutiny to set tone
The Budget Session marks the beginning of Parliament’s legislative calendar each year and opens with the President’s address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It is also the forum where the Union Budget is presented and debated.
Traditionally, the break between the two phases allows standing committees to examine the demands for grants of different ministries, following which detailed discussions take place in both Houses. The upcoming session is also expected to see multiple Bills being introduced or taken up for consideration.
AI regulation discussions gain momentum
This year’s Budget Session will unfold alongside India’s growing focus on Artificial Intelligence governance. New Delhi is set to host the AI Impact Summit in February, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister had earlier co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said the panel is preparing recommendations on AI-related regulation that will be submitted during the session.
“Several countries have made regulations regarding Artificial Intelligence. Our committee is also concerned about AI. PM has taken up a major initiative. He co-chaired the World AI Summit. A meeting will be held here. So, we called a meeting ahead of that. We will present suggestions to the Government. They will then make a decision. We will present the report in the Budget Session,” Dubey told ANI.