bahariduniya.com I Updated : 20 December 2025
Landmark bills and marathon debates defined the winter session, which ended Friday, overshadowed by a midnight Opposition protest in the Rajya Sabha against the VB-G Ram G bill.
Eight bills sailed through Parliament, among them the G Ram G Bill ending MGNREGA, and the 2025 Nuclear Energy Bill that welcomes private players and relaxes liability norms.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, to set up a single higher education regulator, heads to a joint committee, while the Securities Markets Code, 2025, goes to a standing committee for review. Meanwhile, the government has imposed a cess on pan masala and tobacco products through new legislation and excise amendments.
While the House debated Vande Mataram’s 150 years and electoral reforms, Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of obstructing a pollution debate, despite notices filed by Priyanka Gandhi, K Kanimozhi, and Bansuri Swaraj.
Jairam Ramesh countered the allegations, charging that the government was unwilling to debate the pollution crisis. He quipped that the session was defined by pollution rather than winter, and criticized the abrupt adjournment of the Lok Sabha on Thursday that blocked discussion.
Ramesh charged that the government was “running away” from debate, recalling its earlier claim that pollution does not harm lungs. He said the Opposition was ready with evidence on air pollution’s impact on health and mortality, but the Lok Sabha was adjourned indefinitely and the Rajya Sabha was set to face the same outcome.
Om Birla, in his valedictory remarks, emphasized that the Session saw 15 sittings over 92 hours and 25 minutes, with the House surpassing expectations by registering 111% productivity.
Birla reported that the Session handled 300 starred questions (72 answered orally) and 3,449 unstarred questions. He noted 408 urgent matters raised in Zero Hour, 372 under Rule 377, and a record 150 Members voicing issues in Zero Hour on 11 December 2025.
Marking his inaugural session as Rajya Sabha Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan in his valedictory address highlighted that the House worked for approximately 92 hours, recorded 121% productivity, and facilitated 58 Starred Questions, 208 Zero Hour submissions, and 87 Special Mentions.
He highlighted that daily Zero Hour notices averaged over 84, marking a 31% increase from the preceding two sessions. Likewise, the volume of issues raised during Zero Hour registered a 50% rise over the same period.
In the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a debate on the national song “Vande Mataram,” which drew 65 participants in the Lower House and 82 in the Rajya Sabha. A separate debate on electoral reforms engaged 63 Lok Sabha MPs and 57 Rajya Sabha members. Additionally, 59 Private Members’ Bills were introduced in the Upper House during the session.
Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan criticized the opposition for creating disruption in the House by shouting slogans, displaying placards, interrupting the Minister’s reply, and throwing papers into the well. He said such actions were inappropriate for Members of Parliament and expressed hope that they would introspect and refrain from repeating such conduct.
Emphasizing that Members are the “custodians of democracy,” he commended them for responding positively to his appeal to dedicate every day and every hour in the House to fortify democracy through substantive debates and deliberations.
Speaking to reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted that the winter session’s legislative achievements would contribute to realizing the goal of “Viksit Bharat.” He added that the debate on Vande Mataram had inspired patriotism and, for the first time, Parliament engaged in a discussion on electoral reforms. Rijiju asserted that this demonstrated the government’s readiness for dialogue and said the Opposition should appreciate the clarity provided by the debate.
He charged that attempts were made by some leaders to question the Election Commission’s integrity, but asserted that the electoral reforms debate reassured the public and removed doubts about the Commission and the system.
The G Ram G Bill faced sharp Opposition criticism after its late-night passage in the Rajya Sabha, but Rijiju defended it as a measure to curb leakages and ensure transparency.
He highlighted the G Ram G Bill as a landmark initiative to stop corruption and ensure transparency, adding that the Modi government’s third term is defined by a push for rapid reforms.
Under the Bill, rural households are assured 125 days of wage employment—an increase from the current 100 days—for adult members prepared to engage in unskilled manual work.
The minister blamed the Congress for disturbing the House, pointing out that while they avoided climbing tables in the Rajya Sabha, they tore papers, shouted slogans, flew paper planes, and mounted tables in the Lok Sabha—behavior he said weakened democracy.
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