Bills passed in Winter Session will make India 'Viksit Bharat': Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju speaks to the media.

As the Winter Session of Parliament concluded, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday emphasised that the bills passed will play a major role in taking India towards the dream of "Viksit Bharat."

He further stated that the discussions on "Vande Mataram" have stirred the spirit of patriotism, ANI reported.

"2025 winter session is a very proactive session... The bills passed in this session will play a big role in improving the lives of crores of people and to make India a 'Viksit' nation... The 150th year of Vande Mataram discussion has taken place, very fruitful and important... By having extensive discussions on Vande Mataram, we have once again furthered the awakening of patriotism..." he said.

Rijiju said that after the discussions on the electoral reforms, the long-standing questions of the general public were answered with utmost clarity, further attacking the opposition for "falsely accusing" the Election Commission of India and electoral reforms.

"Many people raised questions about the election process, but after the debates on electoral reforms in both houses of Parliament, everything became clear. Those who levelled accusations against the Election Commission and the electoral system were also exposed..." he said.

The Union Minister highlighted that this was the first time that the Election Commission and electoral reforms were separately discussed, outlining the readiness of the central government for any future deliberations.

"This was the first time separate discussions took place on the Election Commission and electoral reforms. This shows just how ready the government is for discussions... After this discussion, there is no confusion left. The Opposition should thank us for this..." he stated.

Moreover, speaking on the passing of VB-G RAM G Bill, Rijiju expressed happiness and assured an end to corruption and more transparency.

"G Ram G bill is a very important bill, brought and passed to stop corruption, bring more transparency. Government reforms are the way forward, like express, and it will not stop. I am very satisfied with this session; business transaction has been done very well..." he said.

Meanwhile, the Parliament on Friday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, with Rajya Sabha approving the legislation after it got the nod of the Lok Sabha.

The Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.

Rajya Sabha productivity at 121%, Lok Sabha 111%

Overall, the Rajya Sabha functioned for about 92 hours, achieving a productivity of 121%, during which 58 Starred Questions, 208 Zero Hour Submissions, and 87 Special Mentions were addressed. The Chairman acknowledged the support of the Deputy Chairman, the Panel of Vice-Chairpersons, and the Secretary-General and his staff, as well as the media for coverage.

Meanwhile, Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, also concluded the ongoing session of the 18th Lok Sabha, highlighting the productive debates, legislative business, and active participation of Members. The Speaker adjourned the House sine die after 15 sittings, marking the formal end of the session.

The Speaker expressed gratitude to all Members for their cooperation, emphasizing the importance of meaningful discussions in strengthening India's parliamentary democracy. The productivity of the House during this session stood at 111 percent, reflecting the commitment of Members to legislative and public work.