Adjourned Sine Die: Key Bills Passed in Parliament’s Winter Session

The winter session of Parliament adjourned sine die on Friday, after clearing several high-impact legislations. Bills cleared by the Lok Sabha included the opening of the insurance and nuclear sectors to greater private players and foreign investors, overhauling rural employment, and approval of fresh fiscal taxation measures.

Over 19 sessions, the Lower House cleared eight important legislations after detailed debate, albeit amid Opposition uproar.

Bills Passed in the Winter Session

1.     Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025
Seeks to raise the foreign direct investment limit in the insurance sector to 100% from 74%. The Bill also allows full foreign ownership of insurance firms. The legislation amends key statutes, including the Insurance Act, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, and the IRDAI Act, to boost competition, attract global capital, and deepen insurance penetration in the country.

2.     Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming Bill, 2025
The SHANTI Bill marks a structural shift in India’s nuclear sector and its policies by opening the civil nuclear energy sector to private companies. It repeals previous restrictive laws, which were limited to state-owned firms, and now allows both private and foreign entities to build, own, and operate nuclear plants. The Opposition has flagged several concerns, including the intent of the government in opening up the sector.

3.     Viksit Bharat Gram Rozgar aur Manav Garima Bill, 2025
The VB G-RAM G Bill replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a new framework for rural employment. Under VB G-RAM G, the number of days of guaranteed employment has been raised to 125 from 100.

4.     Appropriation (No. 4) Bill, 2025
The Bill authorises the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet expenditure for the current fiscal year.

5.     Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025
Seeks to repeal obsolete laws and amend existing legislation to correct technical inconsistencies. It removes outdated provisions and makes legal adjustments to streamline governance, reduce regulatory clutter, and improve legal clarity.

6.     Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025
The legislation updates the GST framework for the state of Manipur and replaces an earlier ordinance while incorporating implementation decisions of the GST Council. The amendment aligns state tax laws with broader changes in GST administration to simplify tax rates and compliance for businesses in the state.

7.     Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Seeks to streamline taxation and address classification and compliance issues. The Bill aims to rationalise taxation provisions and reduce litigation by clarifying duties on specific products and aligning excise rules with industry standards.

8.     Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025
Proposes a new cess to generate dedicated resources for health preparedness and national security-related expenditures. Critics have cautioned that the additional cess could burden consumers and states already under fiscal pressure without guaranteeing the use of funds, reports said.