Parliament’s Winter Session wrapped: Vaping row, a nuclear push and air pollution debate that never happened

Opposition members hold placards during a protest march inside the Parliament House complex amid its ongoing Winter session. (Image: PTI)

Marred by protests, disruptions, sloganeering and fiery debates, this Winter Session of Parliament saw passage of several key bills but also witnessed the Opposition and ruling NDA at loggerheads over issues like SIR, replacement of MGNREGA and air pollution.

The Parliament saw an elaborate discussion on Vande Mataram, already on the agenda, and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following discussion demands from the Opposition camp. However, the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die before taking up a discussion on the air pollution crisis.

The two Houses of the Parliament passed key bills, including Shanti Bill, seeking to allow private players in the civil nuclear energy projects to Amendment in Insurance Laws - The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill. The Parliament on Thursday also passed the VB G RAM G Bill, replacing MGNREGA.

During the Winter Session 2025, from December 1 to December 19, several bills were tabled in the Parliament. Many of them were passed from both the Houses, including The Health Security Se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 and many others.

Parliament on Thursday passed the nuclear energy bill, with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod to the legislation that seeks to open the tightly-controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation.

The Upper House passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill by a voice vote. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the passing of the SHANTI Bill by Parliament is a transformational moment for India's technology landscape and opens up numerous opportunities for the private sector and the youth.

Parliament on Thursday passed the VB-G RAM G Bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA and guarantees 125 days of rural wage employment every year amid vociferous protests by the opposition, with Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserting that it was needed to fix shortcomings in the old scheme.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it on Thursday, amid strong protests by the opposition over the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the existing rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA and accusing the government of putting the financial burden on states.

The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025

Parliament also passed the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 that will amend the Manipur Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The legislation aims to replace the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 which was promulgated in October this year.

It will implement further decisions of the GST Council, including a plan to consolidate existing GST rates into two main slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent.

The 56th GST Council, comprising the Centre and states, had decided to rationalise GST rates on about 375 items by merging the 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent slabs into 2 slabs of 5 and 18 per cent. The Lok Sabha has already passed Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The Parliament passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on December 4, 2025. The bill is aimed to amend the Central Excise Act, 1944, specifically to raise excise duties and cess on tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, zarda and scented tobacco.

The amendment is required to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence, after the cess ends. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary moved the bill.

The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 was passed in Lok Sabha on December 5 and Rajya Sabha on December 8. It's legislation proposes to levy a cess on the production of goods such as pan masala and any other goods that may be notified by the central government. Proceeds from the cess will be used for expenditure towards public health and national security.

The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025 - which was passed in Lok Sabha on December 16 and Rajya Sabha on December 17, proposed to remove 71 obsolete or redundant Acts and also amends four of them. The bill is aimed at enhancing ‘ease of living’ and ‘ease of business’.

The Appropriation (No. 4) Bill 2025 was passed in Lok Sabha on December 15 and Rajya Sabha on December 16. The legislation aims to authorise payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2025-26.

The bill will ensure legal authorisation for the government to spend an additional Rs 1,32,268.85 crore beyond the previously approved budget for 2025-26.

From vaping inside the Parliament to tearing papers and throwing it at a leader, the Winter Session saw several viral moments.

- Priyanka Gandhi's speeches: Her addresses criticizing government policies, especially mentions of Nehru, gained massive views and likes, making her a social media star of the session. Her banter with Nitin Gadkari over an appointment also attracted netizen's reactions.

A light hearted banter in Lok Sabha on December 18. Priyanka Gandhi, while raising the issue of landslides along some highways, requested an appointment with Nitin Gadkari regarding her constituency, saying she was seeking time since June.#PriyankaGandhi#NitinGadkari… pic.twitter.com/9RICNfuXsc

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) December 18, 2025

- A puff of politics: The row over smoking in parliament caught heat, with the BJP seeking disciplinary action against a Trinamool member for allegedly vaping in Lok Sabha.

The TMC MP accused by BJP MP Anurag Thakur of vaping inside Parliament is none other than Kirti Azad. For people like him, rules and laws clearly hold no meaning. Just imagine the audacity, hiding an e-cigarette in his palm while in the House! Smoking may not be illegal, but… pic.twitter.com/kZGnYcP0Iu — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 17, 2025

- Rahul Gandhi vs Amit Shah heated clash: In Lok Sabha, the LoP challenged Shah for an open debate on Haryana “vote chori” and SIR report. Shah fired back, “Parliament won’t run on your wishes. I will decide my speech sequence!” Rahul called him “scared, defensive” to which Shah responded: “I won’t be provoked.”

- Papers thrown at Shivraj Singh Chouhan: As Agriculture Minister tabled the VB-G RAM G Bill in the Lok Sabha, opposition leaders tore the Bill documents and threw it towards Chouhan.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaks in the Lok Sabha as opposition members throw papers in protest during the Winter session of Parliament. (PTI photo)

- Overnight protest: In a dramatic display of dissent, Opposition leaders staged a 12-hour overnight dharna at Parliament complex on Thursday, protesting the passage of the controversial VB-G RAM G Bill, which seeks to replace the long-standing MGNREGA rural employment programme.