Centre lists 13 crucial bills for shortened 15-day sitting; Insurance FDI and Pan Masala Cess top the agenda

The legislative corridors of New Delhi are buzzing with activity as the Parliament Winter Session 2025 officially commences this Monday. Coming fresh off the heels of a significant victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the government is poised to push through a robust economic and social agenda.

This year, the calendar is notably tighter than usual. Parliamentarians will have a condensed window to debate and pass legislation, with the session scheduled to conclude on December 19. This allows for only 15 sittings, a notable reduction from the standard 20-day winter schedule observed in previous years.

Government Seeks Opposition Cooperation

To prevent the disruptions that often plague parliamentary proceedings, the government reached out to the opposition ahead of the start date. On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over a crucial all-party meeting in New Delhi.

Attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and 50 leaders representing 36 different political factions, the meeting focused on building consensus. Minister Rijiju emphasized the government's appeal to all floor leaders to cooperate and ensure the two Houses function productively during this short timeframe.

Legislative Agenda: The List of 13 Bills

A primary focus of this session is the acceleration of economic reforms. The government has listed a total of 13 bills for consideration. The complete list of key legislations slated for introduction and discussion includes:

• Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025: A pivotal bill proposing to raise the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector from 74% to 100%, aiming to boost an industry that has already attracted Rs 82,000 crore in investment.
• Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce this to restructure duties on tobacco and related products.
• Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025: A new proposal to impose cess on items like pan masala to fund national security and public health initiatives.
• Atomic Energy Bill, 2025: Expected to open the civil nuclear sector to private players.
• Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2025: Aims to establish a single regulator for higher education institutions.
• Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025: Consolidates multiple capital market laws into a unified code.
• National Highways (Amendment) Bill: Facilitates faster land acquisition processes for infrastructure projects.
• Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill: Further amendments to ease doing business.
• Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025: Decriminalizes minor offenses to reduce the compliance burden.
• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Strengthens the insolvency resolution framework.
• Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Reforms the arbitration process for better efficiency.
• Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025: Removes obsolete laws from the statute books.
• Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025: Updates GST regulations specific to Manipur.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to introduce the two critical tax-related bills—the Central Excise amendment and the Health Security Cess bill—immediately in the Lok Sabha. Beyond new legislation, the House will also take up two pending bills from the previous session and discuss the first supplementary Budget for the current fiscal year.