Parliament’s Winter Session 2025 opened with PM Modi urging the Opposition not to turn the House into a stage for “theatrics” while pushing key GST and excise reform Bills. A heated debate is expected as the Opposition demands discussion on SIR, AQI, security concerns, and new labour laws.
The Winter Session of Parliament 2025 began with major legislative activity and sharp political exchanges. In the Lok Sabha, The Manipur GST (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed. Two important Bills, The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, were introduced.
Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, members welcomed and felicitated the new Chairman.
The session started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Opposition to maintain discipline and avoid unnecessary drama. He told the media that the Winter Session should not become a space for political showmanship.
The Prime Minister said that over the years, the Opposition has often disrupted the functioning of Parliament, and this needed to change. He added that newly elected MPs were becoming upset because they were not getting enough opportunities to raise concerns from their constituencies.
PM Modi said,
“he could even give them advice on how to do their jobs better”,
noting that
“negativity sometimes works in politics”,
but he hoped MPs would focus more on nation-building. He also congratulated CV Radhakrishnan for taking part in his first Session in the Upper House.
The Prime Minister further remarked that the Opposition had earlier shouted slogans and created chaos where they lost elections, and he expected they might do the same again in states where they anticipate defeat.
He said the Winter Session should not become a space for
“the frustration of losing or for the pride of winning”,
but should instead allow a healthy debate on issues affecting the nation. His comments came as the Session opened with the government placing a large agenda of 14 Bills before Parliament.
On the other hand, the Opposition is demanding a thorough discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and national security concerns after the November 10 Delhi blast. They have indicated they may block both Houses until the government agrees to a debate.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to introduce two key Bills — the Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025.
The Central Excise Amendment Bill aims to replace the GST compensation cess on tobacco by imposing a specific excise duty instead.
The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill is intended to replace the existing compensation cess on pan masala. The purpose is to raise more funds for national security and public health by imposing a special cess on certain machines or production processes.
Currently, tobacco and pan masala attract 28% GST along with a product-based compensation cess. When GST was launched in July 2017, a compensation cess was added for five years to help states adjust to revenue loss.
Later, it was extended until March 31, 2026 because the Centre had borrowed money during the Covid-19 pandemic and needed cess collections to repay those loans. These loans are expected to be fully repaid by December, after which the compensation cess will automatically end.
The Winter Session is expected to be stormy as the SIR issue dominates the political mood. Many opposition parties have united against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, calling it unnecessary and unfair. They say both Houses will face disruptions if the government does not agree to a debate.
Apart from SIR, the Opposition also wants answers on new labour laws, Delhi’s severe air pollution (AQI), security concerns after the Red Fort blast, US tariffs announced by Donald Trump, India’s border talks with China, and questions related to whether LIC has invested in the Adani Group.
The Session will also see the introduction or discussion of several important Bills.
These include the Atomic Energy Bill 2025, Higher Education Commission of India Bill 2025, Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2025, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2025, Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill 2025, Repealing and Amending Bill 2025, National Highways (Amendment) Bill 2025, Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025, Securities Markets Code Bill 2025, Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025, Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2025, Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill 2025.
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The Winter Session will last for 15 sittings spread across 19 days. Private Members’ Bills are scheduled for discussion on December 5 and December 19, while Private Members’ resolutions will be taken up on December 12.
With a packed legislative agenda and strong political disagreements, the next few weeks are expected to be intense inside both Houses of Parliament.
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