New Delhi: The Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on December 1 and conclude on December 19, marking one of the shortest sessions in recent years, with only 15 sittings planned.
The announcement was made by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that President Droupadi Murmu has approved the government’s proposal for the session dates.
“Looking forward to a constructive and meaningful session that strengthens our democracy and serves the aspirations of the people,” Rijiju wrote.
This brief session comes just two weeks after the Bihar Assembly election results are declared on November 14, and is expected to see heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches. The Opposition, led by the Congress, is likely to raise a host of issues including the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, and allegations of “vote manipulation” in states such as Haryana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
Reacting to the announcement, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the shortened schedule, calling it “unusually delayed and truncated.”
“It will be just 15 working days. Clearly, the government has no business to transact, no Bills to get passed, and no debates to be allowed,” Ramesh posted on X.
The previous Monsoon Session, held from July 21 to August 21, spanned 32 days and included 21 sittings, during which 15 Bills were passed. However, nearly two-thirds of the session time was lost due to frequent disruptions and protests.
While the official agenda for the Winter Session has not yet been released, sources indicate that the government may push through several pending legislations, including those related to fiscal management, technology regulation, and social welfare.
Observers expect the Opposition to use the limited duration to corner the government on political and governance issues ahead of the next national elections, making this short session potentially one of the most intense of the year.
