Modi Hails Skyroot's '28-Year-Old Team', Takes Dig at Rahul Gandhi

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. "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," Modi said.

Referring to the team behind Skyroot Aerospace, he added, "The young people working in this 'Skyroot' startup—I have been told 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. Therefore, we pray that both the monsoon and the Monsoon Session remain productive," he said.

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).

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.

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 day's 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 the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Pankaj Chaudhary from the Ministry of Finance, and Kirti Vardhan Singh from the 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 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.

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.

Meanwhile, the Opposition during this Monsoon Session of Parliament is likely to raise several issues, including the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement case and the NEET-UG paper leak. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has already moved a Suspension of Business notice in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala has also submitted a notice for an adjournment motion under Rule 267, seeking a discussion on the "theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya."

The Monsoon Session of Parliament commencing today is set to witness the Centre and the Opposition locking horns on several issues. The session, 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).