Day 5 of the Winter Session of Parliament unfolded as a blend of legislative progress and persistent political friction. The Lok Sabha approved the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill 2025, a major fiscal move aimed at restructuring taxes on demerit goods such as pan masala. The Bill replaces the soon-to-end GST compensation cess with a new framework that the government says will channel revenue into public health and national security initiatives.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, piloting the Bill, assured MPs that the new cess would not extend to essential goods. The intention, she said, is to ensure a sustainable revenue stream for health-related programmes and national preparedness without burdening everyday consumers.
Protests and Walkouts Shadow the Legislation
While the government pushed ahead with its tax reforms agenda, the day was punctuated by intense disruptions. DMK MPs staged vocal protests over a controversy involving a lamp-lighting ceremony at a Tamil Nadu temple, leading to repeated adjournments.
Opposition members also used the opportunity to raise a wide spectrum of concerns, including the continuing slide of the rupee, crop damage from erratic rainfall in Gujarat, and demands to update school textbooks by removing colonial labels such as “Lord” for British officials.
Zero Hour became a flashpoint for these grievances, with MPs seeking government intervention on everything from economic pressures to cultural and historical representation.
Rajya Sabha Turns Its Lens on IndiGo’s Flight Cancellations
In the Upper House, the spotlight shifted to India’s aviation sector. Opposition MPs strongly criticised IndiGo following the sudden cancellation of more than 500 flights, calling it the predictable outcome of an unchallenged “monopoly model” in Indian aviation.
The government assured the House that the Civil Aviation Ministry is reviewing the situation, with further updates expected. Alongside this, the Rajya Sabha adopted a motion to elect a new member to the Rubber Board, even as it navigated DMK notices seeking discussions on communal tensions allegedly rising in Tamil Nadu.
Growing Social and Governance Concerns Surface
MPs across party lines took the opportunity to voice concerns over emerging social issues—particularly around safeguarding children from excessive exposure on social media platforms. Calls for stronger regulation, clearer guidelines, and parental awareness dominated parts of the discussions.
Environmental concerns resurfaced too, with renewed demands for targeted action against deteriorating air quality in major Indian cities. Meanwhile, members from agrarian regions highlighted the need for timely compensation for farmers hit hard by unseasonal rains, urging expedited relief measures.
A Day That Captured the Pulse of Parliament
Despite the disruptions, the legislative agenda moved forward, underscoring the government’s focus on tax restructuring, especially reforms around “sin taxes.” At the same time, the opposition deployed a multi-pronged strategy, using every parliamentary tool available – Zero Hour, procedural notices, interventions—to amplify public grievances, critique policy choices, and demand accountability.
The result was a familiar yet telling portrait of Indian parliamentary life: legislation advancing on one side, and vigorous, often turbulent, democratic scrutiny on the other.