Editor's Pick: Will the monsoon session be a washout?

(The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.)

The monsoon session of Parliament will get under-way today. The 18-day session will take place under strict COVID-19 safety protocols, including the Houses working in shifts instead of simultaneously. The session is expected to be stormy, with issues such as the state of the economy and the situation at the LAC up for debate. Some of the Bills coming up to replace Ordinances are also divisive, particularly three that relate to agriculture.

The Opposition has enough fodder for debate considering the recent numbers that suggest the economy is in a situation unprecedented in the history of independent India. The turmoil among migrant labourers triggered by the COVID-19 lockdown is another issue the Congress will look to capitalise on. The Opposition will also be hoping to catch the government on the backfoot on the border as well, latching on to the Prime Minister's initial statement that India had not ceded any territory to China. The Opposition is already up in arms over a major change in parliamentary procedure -- the Question Hour has been curtailed. The election of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair, to be held on September 14, is another point of contention in this session.

The government has said it is ready for debates on all issues, but Union Minister Prahlad Joshi talked of a meeting of House Leaders on Tuedsay "considering the sensitivities of the India-China matter". Earlier sessions of Parliament have shown that the government has the wherewithal to pursue its agenda in Parliament. However, the nature of the matters that the Opposition is bringing up for debate is what makes this story important.