The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 21, 2025, with five members of the Rajya Sabha taking the oath of allegiance to the Constitution. Among them were two elected members—Birendra Prasad Baishya from the Asom Gana Parishad and Kanad Purkayastha of the BJP—and three newly nominated members: historian Meenakshi Jain, social worker C Sadanandan Master, and former diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

In a solemn start to the session, the House paid homage to those who lost their lives in two recent national tragedies. Tributes were offered to the victims of the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and to those who perished in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in June.

The Rajya Sabha also took a moment to remember its former members who passed away recently, offering obituary references for C Perumal, K Kasturirangan, Ronald Sapa Tlau, Nepaldev Bhattacharjee, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Thennala G Balakrishna Pillai, and Vijaykumar Rupani.

The House extended birthday wishes to key political leaders, including Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as members Laxmikant Bajpai, Rajeev Shukla, and Sangeeta Yadav. The opening day set a respectful and reflective tone for the legislative session ahead, balancing formal proceedings with tributes and acknowledgements.