New Delhi: The Winter Session of Parliament, that began Monday and will end 19 December, is likely to see several key bills tabled, including a Manipur GST amendment bill and an atomic energy bill.
In his opening remarks in Parliament Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded India’s democracy and welcomed new Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan.
The PM took a shot at the Opposition, urging it to move on from the Bihar poll results and not let setbacks become the basis of debate during the session. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept Bihar last month, leaving the Mahagathbandhan with only 35 seats in the 243-member House.
According to media reports, during meetings of the Business Advisory Committee ahead of the Winter Session, the government proposed a 10-hour discussion on commemorating the 150th anniversary of the composition of the national song Vande Mataram.
With the Opposition insisting on discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls, being carried out in nine states and three UTs by the Election Commission, the government reportedly responded that it must begin proceedings with the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Centre has allocated three hours for discussion on the bill.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the second amendment to the Manipur Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The proposed bill will likely align Manipur’s GST regulation with the Centre’s new GST slabs.
However, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm over protests by the Opposition, demanding a discussion on the SIR exercise.
Other bills on agenda
Health Security se National Security Cess Bill & Central Excise (Amendment) Bill
Concerning tobacco and tobacco products, the government has proposed two bills that would refurbish the tax rates on a section of “sin goods”.
The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill aims to take over from the GST compensation cess that’s applied to all tobacco items such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars and hookah products. The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill will levy a cess on the production of specified goods like pan masala, in addition to GST.
National Highways (Amendment) Bill
The bill will amend the National Highways Act, 1956, to enable swifter and more transparent land acquisition for development of national highways.
Atomic Energy Bill
The bill aims to decentralise operations of atomic power generation plants beyond the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. It comes on the heels of PM Modi’s statement calling for robust private investment in India’s nuclear energy sector.
“We are laying the foundation for a strong role for the private sector in this field too,” Modi had said in a virtual address at the inauguration of Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity campus in Hyderabad last week.
Higher Education Commission of India Bill
In a landmark reform of higher education, the bill aims to form an overarching higher education regulator, replacing the existing University Grants Commission (UGC), which controls central educational institutions, barring medical and legal institutes. The bill is also expected to work in tandem with the New Education Policy, 2020.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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