Government holds all-party meet ahead of Parliament Winter Session
What's the story
The government held an all-party meeting on Sunday, a day before the Winter Session of Parliament commences. The meeting was attended by leaders from across the political spectrum and was held at Parliament House. The opposition raised several issues they want to discuss in both Houses, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and recent security concerns like the Red Fort blast in Delhi.
Session details
Winter session to end on December 19
The Winter Session of Parliament will commence on Monday, December 1, and conclude on December 19. This year's session has been planned for 15 sittings, a significant reduction from the regular 20 sittings, making it one of the shortest winter sessions in recent memory. Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held separate consultations with floor leaders of political parties from both Houses.
Session conduct
Rijiju urges constructive parliamentary debates
A Business Advisory Committee meeting is also scheduled for Sunday evening. Rijiju urged restraint, saying that parliamentary debates should be constructive and disruption-free. "Since it's the winter season, we hope everyone works with a cool head and avoids heated exchanges," he said. The Congress party accused the government of trying to derail Parliament by shortening the session duration.
Opposition response
Opposition unites against government's session plans
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of derailing parliamentary processes by scheduling a shorter-than-usual sitting of the Parliament of India. He said, "It seems that the current government is burying the entire parliamentary decorum, derailing it, and digging the grave of this tradition of Indian democracy." The opposition also raised several issues, including security concerns after a recent Delhi blast and economic security.
Legislative focus
Government's legislative agenda for winter session
The government has a strong legislative agenda for the session, with 14 bills lined up. The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, is among them and seeks to regulate atomic energy use while allowing private sector participation in the nuclear space. Other key legislations include the Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2025 and various amendments to existing laws, such as the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025.