Parliament's Winter Session 2025: Key Debates on Vande Mataram, SIR, and Critical Legislation

The winter session of Parliament will commence on December 1 and continue until December 19, spanning three weeks.

New Delhi:

Parliament's Winter Session is set to begin on Monday, December 1, with a three-week agenda focusing on discussions about Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the national song "Vande Mataram," and legislation concerning nuclear energy and higher education.

The government plans to dedicate the opening day to a comprehensive discussion about "Vande Mataram" as the nation celebrates the 150th anniversary of the national song. This discussion aims to address the complete recitation of the song following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the elimination of "significant verses" from the song in 1937 contributed to India's partition.

On November 7, Prime Minister Modi stated, "In 1937, significant verses of 'Vande Mataram', the very essence of its spirit, were removed. Stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' were broken up. This removal sowed the seeds for the eventual partition of the country. Today's generation needs to understand why such injustice was committed against this great mantra of nation-building. Because that same divisive mindset continues to pose a major challenge for the nation even today."

Government officials indicate that the goal is to educate younger generations about Vande Mataram's historical significance and its role during India's independence movement. Both the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair are expected to encourage all political parties to participate, emphasizing that Vande Mataram remains a unifying national symbol traditionally sung at the conclusion of every Parliamentary session.

The government intends to introduce 10 important bills addressing nuclear energy, higher education, corporate law, and securities market regulations.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are preparing to challenge the voter-list revision exercise being conducted by the Election Commission of India across nine states and Union Territories.

The Trinamool Congress has consistently opposed the SIR, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee describing it as "votebandi." She has vowed to defend voters' rights regardless of personal consequences, even stating she would risk having her "throat slashed" in protest of this exercise.

Today, the Election Commission of India will meet with a 10-member delegation from the ruling Trinamool Congress amid ongoing protests regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in nine states and three Union Territories.

With elections approaching in Tamil Nadu next year, the ruling DMK has also joined the Samajwadi Party in opposing the SIR.

The government maintains its willingness to discuss any topic during the winter session. However, regarding the SIR, the government has clarified that while it can discuss comprehensive electoral reforms, it cannot debate specific decisions or processes implemented by the Election Commission.

Opposition parties are also contesting bills related to Atomic Energy and the Indian Higher Education Commission, and have raised concerns about the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill for Chandigarh.

Additionally, the opposition is likely to raise issues including unemployment and the worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR, potentially leading to a turbulent winter session.

The government finalized its strategy for the Winter Session during a meeting of senior ministers at Defense Minister Rajnath Singh's residence on Wednesday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has scheduled an all-party meeting for Sunday to appeal for a consensual approach to conducting the session.