New Delhi, Dec 19: The short Winter Session of Parliament concluded on Friday with both Houses adjourned sine die after the passage of several key legislations, including a bill replacing the 20-year-old MGNREGA scheme, opening the civil nuclear sector to private participation, and allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector.
The 19-day session, which began on December 1, witnessed frequent heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches. Lok Sabha recorded 111 per cent productivity across 15 sittings, while Rajya Sabha saw 121 per cent productivity. The total sitting time was 92 hours and 25 minutes. While the government termed the session “very productive,” the Congress alleged it began with the “insult” of Rabindranath Tagore and ended with the “insult” of Mahatma Gandhi.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House sine die shortly after it met for the day, praising members for sitting late to discuss crucial legislation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present during the adjournment. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan also adjourned the Upper House sine die after reading a statement on its functioning. This marked his first session presiding over the Rajya Sabha.
Radhakrishnan strongly criticised opposition disruptions during the passage of the rural employment guarantee bill, calling the conduct “unbecoming of Members of Parliament” and urging introspection. Rajya Sabha had sat past midnight on Thursday to pass the bill replacing MGNREGA with the Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission – Rural (VB-G RAM G), increasing guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per household. Opposition MPs protested the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said eight bills were passed after debates in both Houses, which would accelerate reforms impacting everyday life. He criticised opposition behaviour during debates, including protests that disrupted proceedings. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh countered that the government avoided a discussion on air pollution despite the opposition’s readiness.
During the session, both Houses held two major debates—on 150 years of Vande Mataram and on election reforms. Prime Minister Modi initiated the Vande Mataram discussion in Lok Sabha, which lasted over 11 hours, while Home Minister Amit Shah led the debate in Rajya Sabha. A proposed debate on air pollution, to be initiated by Priyanka Gandhi, could not take place.
The debate on election reforms lasted about 13 hours in Lok Sabha, with opposition parties focusing on issues related to electoral roll revision, the appointment of election commissioners, and alleged “vote theft.”
Among the eight bills passed were the VB-G RAM G Bill, the SHANTI Bill opening the civil nuclear sector to private participation, and the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, raising insurance FDI to 100 per cent. Parliament also passed bills repealing obsolete laws, amendments related to GST, central excise, health security cess, and approved supplementary demands for grants for 2025-26.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025, proposing a higher education regulator, was referred to a joint parliamentary committee, while a market securities code bill was sent to a standing committee for further examination.
