Winter Session of Lok Sabha ends; key bills passed, debates see politically-charged attacks

Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, drawing curtains on the 19-day-long Winter Session of Parliament which saw the passage of crucial Bills, including one to repeal the 20-year-old MNREGA and another on opening up the civil nuclear sector for private participation.

As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla read out his brief valedictory address, noting that the productivity of Lok Sabha during the session was registered at 111 per cent with members sitting till late hours to discuss crucial legislations.

He then adjourned the House sine die (for indefinite period), drawing curtains on the brief session that commenced on December 1.

When Birla was reading out his valedictory statement, some members were heard raising "Mahatma Gandhi ki jai" slogans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present when the proceedings were adjourned.

During the 15 sittings of the Winter Session, the House took up two politically-charged debates -- on 150 years of Vande Matram and election reforms.

A debate listed on air pollution, which was to be initiated by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, could not take place.

The opposition had been insisting on a debate on the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list in 12 states and UTs but the government made it clear that poll panel and its functioning cannot be discussed in the House, and agreed to hold a debate on election reforms instead.

The opposition, however, focussed its attack on SIR, the new law on appointment of chief election commissioner and election commissioners, and the alleged 'vote chori' carried out by the poll authority in connivance with the ruling BJP.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G Bill, assuring 125 days of guaranteed jobs for rural India, was passed amid opposition protests on Thursday, including tearing of papers.

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which seeks to open the tightly-controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation, was also passed during the session.

The Lok Sabha also passed a Bill to raise FDI in the insurance sector to 100 per cent from the current 74 per cent, which is expected to increase insurance penetration, lower premiums, and boost job creation.

The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, was cleared by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote, a day after it was passed by the Lok Sabha.

The House also passed a Bill to repeal 65 Amendment Acts and six principal laws, which had lost relevance.

A Bill to set up a higher education regulator -- the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025 -- was referred to a joint committee of the two Houses.

The Bill seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.

Another Bill on the market securities code was introduced and referred to a department-related standing committee for further examination.