The monsoon session of Parliament begins today. Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought cooperation of all political parties and asked them to ensure that it turns out to be a productive session. About 45 Bills are expected to be taken up during the session, which will have 18 sittings spread over 24 days. The session ends on August 10.  

Delhi's iconic  luxury hotel Taj Mansingh will go under the hammer today. After an unsuccessful first attempt, New Delhi Municipal Council has decided to conduct a fresh bid for the property. Taj Mansingh was given to the Tata group in 1978 on a lease for 33 years, which ended in 2011. The company was since given nine temporary extensions. However, the civic body could not auction the property then as it was tied up in a legal battle with IHCL. 

Monsanto's appeal in the GM cotton seeds patent case will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court. In May, the apex court had refused to grant a stay on a Delhi High Court ruling that the US company cannot claim patents on its GM cotton seeds. The court will also hear a plea by Nuziveedu Seeds seeking refund of the trait fee paid to Monsanto. State Bank of India will organise a nation-wide outreach programme for farmers and to impart financial literacy.

SBI expects to cover 10 lakh farmers through nearly 14,000 rural and semi-urban branches across the country in this Kisan Mela. The programme is a one-of-its-kind initiative by the bank to connect with farmer customers. 

Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will visit Delhi to finalise the list of Congress legislators to be nominated to boards and corporations. Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah are likely to meet Congress MPs from Karnataka during their visit to Delhi to discuss both the preparations for Lok Sabha polls and also the Cauvery issue.