An all-party meeting was convened on Sunday ahead of the winter session of Parliament, which begins on December 1st. All senior opposition leaders attended the meeting.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "We will listen to the opposition parties. This is the winter session, so we hope everyone will work with a cool head and avoid heated debates."
There will be a meaningful discussion in Parliament, and there will be no disturbance. If we work with a cool head, it will be beneficial for the country and the Parliament session will run smoothly.
On the SIR issue, Rijiju said, "I cannot say what issues we will bring up for discussion. The Election Commission does its work. I am not the Election Commission's spokesperson."
The winter session of Parliament will run from December 1st to December 19th. There will be 15 sittings throughout the 19-day session. Ten new bills, including the Atomic Energy Bill, are expected to be introduced. On the other hand, the opposition will try to corner the government on the SIR issue.
What changes will the important bills introduce?
- Major changes for the nuclear sector: According to the Lok Sabha bulletin, the Atomic Energy Bill will provide a new framework for the use, control, and regulation of nuclear energy in India. This will be the first time private companies will be allowed to enter the nuclear sector. Private companies will now be able to set up nuclear power plants.
- A bill to establish a Higher Education Commission is also ready: The government will also introduce the Higher Education Commission of India Bill. Its aim is to give colleges and universities more freedom and make the system transparent. The bodies (UGC, AICTE, and NCTE) will be abolished and merged into a single commission.
- Highway land acquisition will be expedited: The National Highways (Amendment) Bill will make the land acquisition process faster and more transparent, reducing delays in national highway projects.
- Changes to the Companies Act and LLP Act: The government is preparing to introduce the Corporate Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It will further simplify the ease of doing business by amending the Companies Act 2013 and the LLP Act 2008.
- All Market Laws in One Bill: The Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025 aims to create a simple law by combining the SEBI Act, the Depositories Act, and the Securities Contracts Act.
- Constitutional Amendment Bill: A proposal will be made to amend the 131st Constitution. This bill will specifically bring the Union Territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution. Under Article 240, the central government can make regulations for Union Territories that have the status of law.
- Effortless Dispute Resolution Against Companies: Disputes between companies and individuals often linger in court for years. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to simplify the process for challenging arbitration awards and facilitate faster dispute resolution.
There will be 15 sittings during the 19-day winter session in 2025
This year, the Winter Session of Parliament will run from December 1st to December 19th. There will be 15 sittings throughout the 19-day session. Previously, the Monsoon Session of Parliament ran from July 21st to August 21st. On the first day of the session, the then Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, resigned. The entire session was subsequently disrupted by opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. A total of 21 sittings were held during the Monsoon Session.
The Lok Sabha was scheduled for 120 hours of discussion, but only 37 hours of proceedings were held. Only 41 hours of discussion took place in the Rajya Sabha. A total of 27 bills were passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Constitution Amendment Bill, which would remove the arrested Prime Minister and Chief Minister, was the most discussed bill. A proposal to refer it to the JPC was passed.
Opposition may move impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner
The I.N.D.I.A. Bloc may move to impeach Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during the winter session of Parliament. A meeting of the I.N.D.I.A. Bloc was held at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on August 18th.
Following the meeting, eight opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party, DMK, and RJD, held a joint press conference. TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee stated, "There are three days left in the current session (monsoon session) of Parliament. A 14-day notice is required for impeachment proceedings. Given the CEC's attitude, we will file notice in the next session (winter session)."
Indeed, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had accused the Election Commission of vote theft on August 7th. On August 17th, CEC Gyanesh Kumar had said, "Rahul should file an affidavit on the allegations of vote theft or apologize to the nation."