Budget Session: 16 legislation were passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the Parliamentary budget session that ended on Friday. Following an intersession break on January 31, the two Houses passed a number of important pieces of legislation, including the Waqf Amendment Bill. According to a Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs official statement, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were roughly 118% and 119% productive during the Budget Session, respectively.

The Parliamentary Budget Session 2025, which started on Friday, January 31st, was adjourned sine die on Friday. To allow department-related standing committees to review and report on the demands for grants on various Ministries/Departments, both Houses were adjourned for recess on Thursday, February 13th, and reconvened on Monday, March 10th.

A press conference was held on Friday following the conclusion of the Budget Session by Kiren Rijiju. The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, as well as L Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, were also in attendance.

The first half of the Budget Session produced nine Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sittings, according to Rijiju. There were seventeen sittings of both Houses in the second half of the session. There were 26 sessions in all during the Budget Session.

Under Article 87(1) of the Constitution, the President spoke to both Houses of Parliament gathered together on January 31st, the first session of the year. In the Lok Sabha, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri proposed a motion of thanks for the president’s speech, and Ravi Shankar Prasad seconded it. Against the 12-hour time limit, it spent 17 hours and 23 minutes in the Lok Sabha.

According to the ministry, 173 members took part in the conversation. Kiran Choudhary moved the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha, and Neeraj Shekhar seconded it. In contrast to the 15 hours permitted, it spent 21 hours and 46 minutes in the Rajya Sabha. 73 members took part in the discussion. During the first half of the session, the two Houses debated and approved the Motions of Thanks on the President’s Address after the Prime Minister’s response.

Union Budget 2025–2026:

On February 1, the Union Budget for 2025–2026 was unveiled. During the first portion of the session, both Houses held a general discussion on the Union Budget. This lasted 16 hours and 13 minutes in the Lok Sabha compared to the 12 hours that were allocated, and 169 members participated in the debate. It lasted 17 hours and 56 minutes in the Rajya Sabha compared to the 15 hours that were allocated, and 89 members took part in the discussion.

The Lok Sabha debated and voted on the demands for grants from the respective Ministries of Railways, Jal Shakti, and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare during the second portion of the Budget Session. On March 21, the House ultimately put the remaining Ministries’ and Departments’ grant requests to a vote. On March 21, the Lok Sabha also introduced, debated, and approved the relevant appropriation bill.

The Rajya Sabha also discussed the operations of the Ministries of Education, Railways, Health & Family Welfare, and Home Affairs. On March 11, the Lok Sabha passed the Appropriation Bills relating to the Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2024-25; Excess Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22; Supplementary Demands for Grants of Manipur for the year 2024-25; and Demands for Grant on Account for the year 2025-26 concerning the State of Manipur.

The Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2024–2025, Excess Demands for Grants for 2021–2022, Supplementary Demands for Grants for Manipur for 2024–2025. Demands for Grants on Account for 2025–2026 concerning the State of Manipur were all returned by the Rajya Sabha on March 18.  On March 27, the Rajya Sabha also returned the Finance Bill, 2025, and the Appropriation Bill about the Union’s Grant Demands for 2025–2026. As a result, the Houses of Parliament finished all of their financial business by March 31.

Waqf Amendment Bill:

In their extended sessions on April 3 and 4, respectively, both Houses also adopted a Statutory Resolution endorsing the proclamation issued by the President on February 13 under Article 356(1) of the Constitution about the State of Manipur. Following the Joint Committee’s report presentation, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed. This bill aims to improve the management of waqf properties, empower stakeholders involved in waqf property management, and increase the efficiency of the survey, registration, and case disposal processes as well as the development of waqf properties. The goal is to apply contemporary, scientific approaches for improved governance, even if the primary objective is still to manage waqf properties. Additionally, the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923 was repealed.

Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill:

To improve the effectiveness of the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to clarify and harmonize the roles of various organizations involved in disaster management. It also empowers the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities to create disaster databases at the national and state levels, establishes an “Urban Disaster Management Authority” for the State Capital and large cities with municipal corporations, and calls for the establishment of a “State Disaster Response Force” by the State Government.

Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill:

The formation of “Tribhuvan” Sahakri University to offer instruction, training, and capacity building in the cooperative sector as well as conduct research and development activities in relevant fields is covered by the “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025. It was also approved to create centers of excellence in the cooperative sector, provide degree programs, and offer e-learning and remote learning courses.

Immigration and Foreigners Bill:

The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, was passed in order to streamline the regulations pertaining to passports and other travel documents for individuals entering and leaving India, as well as to control issues pertaining to foreign nationals, such as registration and visa requirements.

To enhance governance standards, guarantee better protection for investors and depositors, improve audit quality in public sector banks, and provide customer convenience concerning nominations, among other things, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was also passed.  Eleven bills were introduced during this session, ten in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha passed sixteen bills, while the Rajya Sabha passed or returned fourteen. Sixteen bills in total have been approved by both houses of parliament. During the 2025 Budget Session, the Lok Sabha’s productivity was roughly 118%, while the Rajya Sabha’s was roughly 119%.

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