As the Winter Session of Parliament begins on December 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to brief accredited media representatives at 10:00 am on Monday. The briefing, to be held at Hans Dwar inside Parliament House, will set the tone for what is expected to be an intensive legislative session, stretching from December 1 to December 19. With critical economic, administrative, and regulatory reforms slated for discussion, the session is likely to be one of the most significant of the current Lok Sabha’s tenure.

The government held an all-party meeting on Sunday morning, ahead of the session’s commencement, to outline the agenda and seek cooperation from opposition parties. This meeting—convened at 11 am—traditionally serves as a platform to build consensus and ensure smoother parliamentary functioning, although heightened political tension in recent years often makes such cooperation difficult.

A Hefty Legislative Portfolio

According to sources familiar with the agenda, Parliament will review a large number of bills spanning national security, public health, taxation reforms, financial regulations, and infrastructure governance. Several of these bills have already received recommendations from the President of India under constitutional provisions.

Among the major proposals is the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, a legislation that appears poised to levy additional cess for funding public health frameworks and national security preparedness. The bill has been recommended for introduction by the President under Article 117(1) and Article 274(1), and will be considered under Article 117(3). Its fiscal implications are expected to be a major point of discussion in both Houses.

Another key bill is the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, recommended under Articles 207(1) and 207(3). The bill is likely aimed at aligning Manipur’s state-level GST framework with national GST Council decisions or emerging economic imperatives.

The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has also received the required presidential clearance under Articles 117 and 274. This bill is expected to revise the excise regime in line with updated market structures and fiscal priorities.

Apart from these, an extensive queue of legislative proposals awaits Parliament’s attention. These include:

• Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, likely focused on decriminalising minor economic offences and improving business ease.
• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which may introduce refinements to insolvency resolution processes.
• Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, intended to remove outdated laws from the statute books.
• National Highways (Amendment) Bill, 2025, possibly empowering the National Highways Authority of India with new regulatory or operational tools.
• Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, expected to modernise the framework around atomic energy governance.
• Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, likely bringing important changes to company regulation and compliance mechanisms.
• Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025, which could consolidate and streamline SEBI-related regulations.
• Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, expected to strengthen the insurance sector’s regulatory landscape.
• Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to reform dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2025, which may set the groundwork for a major overhaul in higher education regulation.

Collectively, these bills cover a wide spectrum of governance domains, suggesting that the Winter Session will be policy-heavy with significant implications for the economy, business environment, and public administration.

Financial Business: Supplementary Demands for Grants

Beyond legislative matters, Parliament is also expected to take up important financial business. The government will present the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2025–26, a regular but essential part of fiscal management. These demands allow the government to seek Parliamentary approval for additional expenditure requirements not foreseen in the Union Budget.

Once these are discussed, Parliament will take up the associated Appropriation Bill, which—after debate—must be passed or returned, depending on whether it originates in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. This exercise is crucial to keeping government expenditure legally sanctioned and aligned with fiscal discipline.

Opposition Coordination Ahead of Session

The opposition’s INDIA bloc has also announced a strategy meeting scheduled for Monday. Floor leaders will gather at the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to coordinate their position on key bills and formulate a common stance on issues on which they intend to challenge the government. These pre-session strategy meetings are especially important when the opposition faces a large numerical disadvantage, as in the current Lok Sabha.

The Winter Session traditionally closes the year’s legislative business and often includes crucial bills deferred from earlier sessions due to disruptions or time constraints. With both the ruling coalition and the opposition sharpening their agendas for the coming political year, this session is expected to be both eventful and contentious.

As Prime Minister Modi addresses the press tomorrow morning, attention will be focused on the government’s priorities, the tone he sets for cooperation in Parliament, and the messages he conveys ahead of what promises to be a pivotal legislative period.