Parliament Functioning in Winter Session 2025

Both Houses functioned beyond their scheduled hours

Note: FS is First Session, BS is Budget Session, MS is Monsoon Session, WS is Winter Session and SS is Special Session

Note: “Other” includes time spent on activities such as motions for electing committee members, felicitation of the Speaker or  Chairperson, tabling of papers, obituary references, suspension of members, and discussion of statutory resolutions.

• Lok Sabha functioned for 103% of its scheduled time, and Rajya Sabha for 104%.  Each House spent over 40% of its time on debates, mainly due to special discussions on the 150^th anniversary of Vande Mataram and electoral reforms.

• A comparatively smaller share of time was spent on legislative business, with most Bills discussed and passed within a couple of days of introduction.

Nine bills introduced this session, seven passed, two referred to Committees

Note: * The 18^th Lok Sabha started with the second Budget Session of 2024.

• Several Bills with far reaching consequences were  introduced in the last week of the session.

• These included revamp of the nuclear energy regulator, MNREGS, and insurance laws, which were all passed within a week.

• Bills to revamp the higher education regulation, and integrate three securities laws into one Code were referred to Committees for examination.

• Eleven of the 42 Bills introduced in the 18^th Lok Sabha have been referred to Committees.

• These include two Bills on simultaneous elections, and three on the removal of ministers on detention.  Each set is being examined together by Joint Committees of the two Houses.

• Only one Bill —  the Securities Markets Code — has been referred to a Standing Committee.

Question Hour was held in both Houses, with about 25% of questions being answered orally

• Lok Sabha utilised 67% of the Question Hour and Rajya Sabha utilized 80%.

• 23% of starred questions were answered orally in Lok Sabha, and 26% in Rajya Sabha.

Private Members’ Bills introduced in Lok Sabha for the first time since August 2024

• While three days were allocated for Private Members’ business, it was taken up in both Houses on two days.  One day was utilised for Bills, and the other for a resolution.

• 137 Private Member Bills (PMBs) were introduced in the Lok Sabha and 59 in the Rajya Sabha.

• In the Lok Sabha, this was the first introduction of PMBs since August 2024.

 New Chairman in Rajya Sabha, No Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha since June 2019

• During this session, three hours were spent on the felicitation of the newly elected Vice President, who is also the Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.

• The 18^th Lok Sabha is yet to elect a Deputy Speaker, and the 17th Lok Sabha completed its full five-year term without choosing one.

• The Constitution mandates that the Lok Sabha select both a Speaker and Deputy Speaker at the earliest.

Sources: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Lists of Business, Bulletins; Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Statistical Statement 2025, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; Reports of the Business Advisory Committee; PRS.