Parliament Winter Session Ends Turbulently After Landmark Bills
New Delhi, 19 December (H.S.): The Lok Sabha adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the conclusion of Parliament''s 19-day Winter Session that featured 15 sittings and achieved 111 percent productivity despite frequent disruptions. Lawmakers clear
Lok Sabha


New Delhi, 19 December (H.S.): The Lok Sabha adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the conclusion of Parliament's 19-day Winter Session that featured 15 sittings and achieved 111 percent productivity despite frequent disruptions.

Lawmakers cleared the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or VB-G RAM G Bill, on Thursday, replacing the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a promise of 125 days of annual rural wage employment.

Opposition members staged fierce protests, including tearing bill copies and overnight dharnas, before both Houses passed it by voice vote past midnight.

The session also enacted the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, liberalizing India's civil nuclear domain for private companies, joint ventures, and foreign investors while capping operator liability and retaining government oversight on waste management.

This reform replaces the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010, aiming to boost capacity to 100 GW by 2047.

Additional bills passed included the Insurance Amendment Bill, Repealing and Amending Bill targeting 71 obsolete laws, and various tax measures like the Manipur Goods and Services Tax Amendment.

Speaker Om Birla noted the high productivity as the House met briefly on Friday before indefinite adjournment, capping a session dominated by economic and infrastructure debates.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar


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