The government is set to begin Parliament’s winter session on December 1, and it’s no surprise that many legislative proposals are lined up for consideration. In fact, the government has indicated a rather ambitious constitutional agenda with the introduction of ten Bills seeking the legislative sanction needed to promote reforms in key sectors. The session will run until December 19 and include fifteen sittings.
These Bills are designed to bring about changes that modernize out-of-date legislation, make India’s economy a more attractive place for investment, and enhance the regulatory frameworks governing governance, education, infrastructure, and financial markets.
Pivotal Legislation to Reform India’s Nuclear Sector
One of the most significant proposals put forward seeks to reform India’s civil nuclear sector by exposing it to private participation. The government is proposing the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 in order to provide a more comprehensive regulatory regime for atomic energy, and to create a clearer and more favourable context for private actors for better efficiency and increased innovation.
The proposed Bill is also significant in itself, because it represents a change in policy: for a number of decades, India’s nuclear sector has remained fully state controlled and administered. This reform initiative also represents another public policy that aligned with India’s growing energy requirements and with its clean-energy ambitions.
Constitutional Change for the Governance of Chandigarh
Also on the agenda is the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Bill specifically seeks to add Chandigarh to Article 240 so that the President may frame regulations for the Union Territory. This would end the current system where the Punjab Governor also acts as the Administrator of Chandigarh.
The amendment intended to simplify governance and align Chandigarh’s governance framework with that of other Union Territories without legislatures.
Higher Education Commission Bill Aims for Increased Autonomy
Education reform is also a key priority. Included in the agenda is the Higher Education Commission of India Bill, which seeks to establish a brand new regulatory body. The proposed body would allow universities to be independent and self-governing.
It would also promote excellence through transparent accreditation and enhanced institutional autonomy. The proposal seeks to rebalance the existing jumbled regulatory framework.
Sectoral Reforms Spread Across Infrastructure and Industry
There is some attention paid to infrastructure development as Infrastructure is given some attention, through the National Highways (Amendment) Bill, which proposes to expedite land acquisition through faster and more transparent measures for completing highway projects.
Winter Session 2024 Parliament, Similarly, the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 proposes some changes to the Companies Act and the LLP Act for improving the ease of doing business.
In addition, the government is seeking to revise the Arbitration and Conciliation Act for the purpose of improving dispute resolution. The amendments will support India’s goal of creating a more conducive business and investment environment.
Restructuring Financial Markets through the Securities Code
We think there will be a major restructuring of financial laws through the Security Markets Code Bill, 2025 which will consolidate three existing laws in the same general subject matter into one.
We expect that this Bill will reorganize and clarify regulations and investor expectations and will be an important part of modernizing India’s securities market, which has operated under differing legal regimes with overlapping laws.
Other Legislative Measures for Session
We also expect a bill on Insurance Laws (Amendment) to allow for more insurance penetration and enable continued growth in the insurance sector. The government will also introduce a bill to repeal 120 expired acts of parliament in the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025.
The other bill will include a Manipur GST Amendment Bill, which currently falls under an ordinance. We understand that two bills previously deferred from the previous session are also to be debated and passed for this session.
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