Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are each likely to have a 20-hour discussion on the Union budget, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present on Tuesday, with the Lower House expected to have separate debates covering ministries of railways, education, health, MSME and food processing, sources said.

The business advisory committees (BAC), which have representatives from different parties, of the two Houses met on Monday to finalise the agenda for the session. The government, however, is entitled to introduce any new item, depending upon exigencies, with the permission of the Chair.

In Rajya Sabha, sources said, a discussion for eight hours is likely to be scheduled on the appropriation and finance bills, and a four-hour debate each on four ministries, which are yet to be identified.

A Congress MP said his party highlighted its demand for short-duration discussions on issues like the Agnipath scheme and the NEET row during the Lok Sabha BAC meeting. However, it was decided that the discussion related to different ministries would allow all parties to raise their issues.

A government source said a 20-hour time slot for the general discussion on the budget will also provide different parties an opportunity to raise a range of issues to which Sitharaman will reply.

Issues like paper leaks, including in the prestigious NEET, can be covered when the debate related to the demand for the grant to the education ministry comes, a source said.

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