New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 20, Monday took a veiled swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi while lauding India’s growing space capabilities. PM Modi took a sharp jibe at Rahul Gandhi and said that 28-year-old youngsters were behind the success of startup Skyroot Aerospace and not any 56-year-old youngster. Addressing reporters ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s recent achievements in the space sector and praised the country’s young innovators.
PM Modi hails youth power behind Skyroot's launch success; takes subtle dig at Rahul Gandhi, says "Not talking about 56-year-old youngster"
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“Just before last year’s Monsoon Session, an Indian citizen reached the International Space Station and the day before yesterday, India’s young startup achieved a very big milestone. There are very few countries in the world where such private ventures have taken place and India’s youth have taken a new flight into space. It is a very big success,” PM Modi reiterated.
Referring to the team behind Skyroot Aerospace, he added, “The young people working in this Skyroot startup, I have been told that the average age of their entire team is only 28 years. Such youngsters have accomplished this work; I am not talking about any 56 year-old youngster, I am talking about these startups in the country with an average age of 28 that have planted India’s flag in space”.
PM Modi also expressed hope that both the ongoing monsoon season and the Monsoon Session of Parliament would prove productive for the country. “The benefits of the monsoon are visible and the Monsoon Session is also commencing. Both the monsoon and the Monsoon Session are very productive; When both are productive, it leads to the welfare of the nation and the welfare of all living beings”, PM Modi added.
Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 has successfully reached orbit, marking the maiden flight of India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch. The rocket completed its final burn and injected its payloads into a nearly 450-km orbit, making India the third country in the world with private orbital launch capability.
The mission, named “Mission Aagaman”, was executed from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The 24-metre carbon-composite rocket completed all planned flight stages, including stage separations and the firing of its Orbital Adjustment Module (OAM).
Lok Sabha’s List of Business for the Monsoon Session
The Monsoon Session of Parliament commences on Monday, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to introduce The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, besides taking up obituary references, Question Hour, papers to be laid on the table, a Ministerial Statement and other listed business, according to the Lok Sabha’s List of Business.
Speaking at the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. May this session witness productive discussions that strengthen India's development journey. https://t.co/v25Vg62apy
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 20, 2026
Under legislative business, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move for leave to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The Bill will replace the ordinance promulgated by the Centre to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37.
The lower House will also take up a motion regarding the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, to be moved by BJP MPs Eatala Rajender and Ajay Bhatt. The motion recommends that the Rajya Sabha elect two of its members to the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit through the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote to fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of NR Elango and Deepak Prakash, and communicate the names of the elected members to the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha will begin the proceedings with obituary references to the passing away of former Members of Parliament Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Omwati Devi, Sudhangshu Seal, Major General Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri AVSM (Retd.), KP Dhanapalan, Pyare Lal Sankhwar and His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Father Amir of the State of Qatar.
Question Hour will follow, after which Arjun Ram Meghwal from Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Pankaj Chaudhary from Ministry of Finance and Kirti Vardhan Singh from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will lay papers on the Table of the House. Union Minister Suresh Gopi will make a statement regarding the status of implementation of recommendations contained in the 4th Report of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas on “Litigations involving Oil PSUs” pertaining to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The Lok Sabha will also take up Matters under Rule 377 later in the day. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce a Bill in the Rajya Sabha on July 20, Monday to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, with the proposed legislation seeking to make any obstruction or insult to the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence. The Bill is listed for introduction on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, according to the Rajya Sabha’s List of Business.
Motions to be passed in Rajya Sabha
The Upper House will also take up a motion for the election of one member to the Central Advisory Committee for the National Cadet Corps (NCC), to be moved by Union Minister Sanjay Seth. The motion proposes that the House elect one member from among its members to serve on the committee in accordance with the provisions of the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948.
Another motion, to be moved by Union Minister of State L Murugan, seeks the appointment of two Rajya Sabha members to the Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The motion proposes the appointment of Dr Bhim Singh and Sagarika Ghose to fill the vacancies created following the retirement of Saket Gokhale and Bhubaneswar Kalita from the Rajya Sabha.
Papers will be laid on the Table in Rajya Sabha, including a statement on Bills passed during the previous Rajya Sabha session and copies of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, and the Income-Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
The Monsoon session is scheduled to stretch till August 13, will also mark the parliamentary debut of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), formed by 20 rebel Trinamool Congress(TMC) MPs who merged their faction and aligned with the National Democratic Alliance(NDA).
(With Inputs from ANI)
