NEW DELHI: The Winter Session of Parliament will commence on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s customary address to the media. Newly elected Vice President (V-P) CP Radhakrishnan will preside over Rajya Sabha for the first time.
With Opposition parties already up in arms against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across states, Radhakrishnan will have the delicate task of steering proceedings smoothly amid their expected protests.
The Opposition has already sharpened its criticism of the government after the Rajya Sabha Secretariat issued an advisory reminding MPs not to use slogans such as ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jai Hind’ inside Parliament in order to maintain decorum.
The last Rajya Sabha session witnessed continuous disruption due to the protests against SIR in Bihar.
Ahead of the start of the session, the PM will speak to the media, outlining the government’s priorities and urging the Opposition to contribute to productive proceedings in both the Houses.
The 18th session of Parliament is expected to see the government pursue its reform agenda, including legislation to open the civil nuclear sector to private players, alongside a number of other Bills. This will be the first parliamentary session since the NDA secured a resounding victory in Bihar, a result that has placed the alliance in high political spirits as it aims to secure smooth passage of all listed bills.
Among the bills on the agenda, a key one is The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, which seeks to regulate the use of atomic energy in India.