After the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the conclusion of the Winter Session, the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla added camaraderie among the bitter rivals.
The Winter Session saw significant legislative reforms and a historic discussion on the national song, “Vande Mataram.”
Post-session meeting
Following the adjournment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his chamber. The leaders expressed their gratitude to the Speaker for the orderly conduct of the session.
Other senior leaders also joined the Speaker for a traditional post-session gathering over tea, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers K Ram Mohan Naidu, Chirag Paswan, and Pralhad Joshi.
“After the conclusion of the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, a pleasant conversation took place with the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and esteemed leaders of all parties,” Birla said in a social media post on X.
Beginning on 1 December, the Winter Session clocked a total of 92 hours and 25 minutes of sittings. Official data released on Friday confirmed a productivity rate of 111%.
Speaker Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha indefinitely (sine die), concluding a brief but eventful session. As he delivered his closing remarks, some members chanted “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai.”
During this period, the House introduced 10 government bills and passed eight of them. Key legislative highlights include –
– Major reforms in the civil nuclear, insurance, and healthcare sectors.
– The passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, which officially replaces the long-standing MGNREGA scheme.
- – Passage of the Supplementary Demands for Grants – First Batch, 2025–26, and the Appropriation (No. 4) Bill.
– A significant bill was passed to increase the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector from 74% to 100%, a move intended to expand market reach, reduce premium costs, and stimulate employment.
– The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025, was referred to a joint parliamentary committee for further review.
– The government rejected opposition demands to debate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 states and Union Territories, maintaining that the House does not deliberate on the internal functioning of the Election Commission.
Major Discussions
The session was characterized by lengthy debates on national identity and democratic processes.
The Prime Minister initiated a discussion to commemorate the completion of 150 years of the national song “Vande Mataram”. The House spent over 11 hours on the subject, with 65 members participating.
A 13-hour debate was held on electoral reforms on 9 and 10 . It saw 63 members weigh in on the future of India’s polling systems.
