On the Winter Session Of the Parliament, Political Equations

This winter session of Parliament had only 15 sittings. This reflects a historical decline in the number of parliamentary meeting days from 160–165 per year to 60–65.

Parliamentary Session: Legislative Overview and Key Outcomes

• Legislative Productivity and Symbolic Milestones: The session saw 10 Bills introduced and 8 passed, alongside Parliament commemorating the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram.
• Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill: This bill allows 100% FDI in the insurance sector to increase capital and ensure insurance reaches every household.
• Nuclear Power Boost: The government ended its monopoly by allowing private participation in nuclear power and capped supplier liability at ₹3,000 crore, addressing earlier investor concerns arising from stringent liability norms and strengthening India’s energy security.
• VB-G Ram G Bill (MNREGA Reform): This replaces the 2005 rural employment scheme with the “Vikasit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aivika Mission Gramin (VB-G Ram G) Bill“. Its focus shifts from manual labour to skill development and vocational education.
• Repealing Colonial Laws: Several archaic laws were removed to improve the Ease of Doing Business and reduce judicial pendency.

Controversies and Deliberations

• Language Controversy/Hindi Titles: Non-Hindi states, particularly Tamil Nadu, protested the use of Hindi titles for bills, arguing it violates Article 348, which mandates English for parliamentary texts, and harms the federal spirit.
• Nationalism vs Politics: Extensive time (11 hours in Lok Sabha and 13 in Rajya Sabha) was spent debating Vande Mataram on its 150th anniversary rather than addressing urgent issues such as air pollution and unemployment.
• Missed Opportunities: There was no resolution on electoral transparency (electoral bonds or EC neutrality), and the government declined to discuss Delhi’s severe air pollution.
• Deliberations: Bills were rushed through, and the role of parliamentary committees in shaping legislation remains limited, though Question Hour and Zero Hour were more productive.

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Outcome

The session ended with “Tea Diplomacy,” in which the opposition attended the Speaker’s tea party, suggesting a slight reduction in bitterness between the government and the opposition.

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