Parliament’s winter session to be held from December 1 to 19

The winter session of Parliament will be held from December 1 to December 19, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Saturday. He said President Droupadi Murmu has approved the government’s proposal to convene the session and expressed hope for a “constructive and meaningful” discussion that strengthens democracy and serves the aspirations of citizens.

This year’s winter session is expected to be one of the shortest since the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. The government is likely to push several key legislations, including the 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which seeks to remove ministers sentenced to 30 days or more in jail. Other bills on the agenda include the Jan Vishwas Bill and amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

Meanwhile, the Opposition is gearing up to raise the issue of the Election Commission’s nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which it claims could affect voter transparency. The government is also expected to face questions over the monsoon session’s low productivity and frequent disruptions.

Last year, the winter session ran from November 25 to December 20 and saw the passage of key legislations like the Bhartiya Vayuyaan Vidheyak, 2024. Productivity, however, remained low, with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha functioning for only 54.5% and 40% of scheduled time, respectively.