LIVE | Parliament Winter Session 2025: ‘We must begin discussion on SIR,’ says Kharge; Rijiju says ‘will discuss’

Union Minister Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Indian government has decided to conduct Census in 2027.

“The Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases namely Phase I – House Listing and Housing Census from April to September, 2026 in a period of 30 days as per the convenience of the State/UT Governments followed by Phase II – Population Enumeration (PE),” he told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The Population Enumeration will be done in February 2027 with reference 1st March, 2027 except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where it will be done in September, 2026 with reference date 1 October, 2026. In Census 2027, Caste enumeration will be done as decided by Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs vide its decision dated 30.04.2025.

Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have been adjourned till 11 am on December 3.

The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, passed in Rajya Sabha and returned to Lok Sabha on Tuesday afternoon. It was introduced in the Lower House of Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday and passed soon after.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is willing to discuss the SIR issue and electoral reforms in Parliament, but urged Opposition parties not to demand a fixed deadline. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the matter is urgent and the discussion should happen immediately.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till 2 pm.

The Opposition has been demanding discussion on SIR since yesterday, and the same followed in the Lok Sabha today. Following this, a lot of sloganeering was heard due to which chaos ensued and the Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon.

The Centre will present the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill in Parliament today, which is the second day of the Winter Session. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce the bill, which aims to change the Central Excise Act by increasing the excise duty and cess on tobacco products.

Opposition parties will hold a protest outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar, demanding a discussion on electoral reforms. The demonstration is set to begin at 10:30 am, about half an hour before the Lok Sabha starts its proceedings.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam has filed an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, saying that weaknesses in the country’s voter lists are a serious national issue. He argued that the use of old, non-digital electoral rolls increases the chances of duplication, mistakes, and misuse, and urged the government to move to a fully updated and centrally monitored system to safeguard election integrity.

Vijay Kumar, the MP from Kanniyakumari, has also submitted an adjournment motion, saying the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision was carried out in a hurried and unplanned way, creating problems for the country’s electoral process.

BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said the Opposition risks facing a repeat of its Bihar setback if it keeps bringing up what she called unfounded issues in Parliament. She noted that the Prime Minister had reminded Opposition leaders to focus on constructive work in both Houses and to take part in discussions in a meaningful way. She added that the Bihar election results should have encouraged the Opposition to reflect on its approach, warning that creating chaos in Parliament over weak or irrelevant points could lead to the same outcome they saw in Bihar.

Congress leaders on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks accusing the opposition of “drama” during the Parliament Winter Session, asserting that they were only demanding a discussion on voters’ rights and alleged deletion of votes.

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said it was “very unfortunate that the Prime Minister is saying that the 240 MPs in parliament are doing drama.” He argued that the opposition was raising a “very important issue,” adding, “They are taking away the votes of Dalits, minorities, and the backward class. People’s votes have been deleted. We are asking for a discussion on it.”

Tagore questioned the government’s approach, saying, “Parliament is for what? It is not a cheerleader’s club. It is a place where we discuss the people’s issues. The right to vote has been taken out. We want a discussion on that.”

He also pointed to the Prime Minister’s absence, stating, “He is not in the Lok Sabha today. But we were there. We want a discussion. We will also continue to ask for a discussion.”

Opposition MPs will hold a protest on December 2 (Tuesday) at 10.30 AM in front of Makar Dwar of the Parliament, demanding a discussion on electoral reforms.

The first day of the winter session of the Lok Sabha saw repeated sloganeering by the Opposition parties alleging electoral fraud.

Multiple Opposition leaders raised the slogan of “vote chor, gaddi chod” in the House, while also demanding a discussion on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.

On the controversy over bringing a dog to Parliament, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said, “I heard about it and I’m shocked. I think all the MPs with me are shocked.”

She said that party doesn’t matter in Parliament as it is a sacred place, the country’s “largest panchayat”. “…Making such statements, criticising the MPs, criticising the government, criticising the Parliament building, I think it reflects their vile ideology. Absolutely negative mentality, frustrated…” she added.

The proceedings of Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will resume on Dec 2 at 1 1 am.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal accused Chowdhury of indulging in a “tamasha” (theatrics) and violating protocol by bringing a dog to Parliament.

He said that members cannot bring anyone inside Parliament without proper documents and demanded action against the Congress MP.

“You are not serious about debating issues… you are making a joke of Parliament with such tamasha… She is a member of the House and should raise issues of public importance instead of indulging in such drama,” Pal said.

“She should be taken to task by the Chairman of the House,” Pal asserted, while seeking action against her.

AIADMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu said that the opposition walked out from Rajya Sabha over SIR issue. She said that despite discussions in the Business Advisory Committee and the Minister’s acceptance to take up SIR, on the floor the government is evading the issue, asking for more time.

“This is a very short winter session, only 15 working days, of which 12 are for discussion after accounting for private member bills. Already 13 bills are listed, so when will there be time for SIR?”

On the issue of GPS spoofing at IGI Airport, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu replied in the House and confirmed cyber attackers targeted seven airports.

He said – “Some flights reported GPS spoofing in the vicinity of IGIA, New Delhi while using GPS based landing procedures, while approaching on RWY 10. Contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching to RWY 10. There were no effects on movements of flights, on other runway ends having conventional navigational aids being operational. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued advisory circular ANSS AC 01 of 2023 dated 24.11.2023 for addressing GNSS Interference in Airspace. In addition, DGCA has also issued Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) dated 10th November 2025 for Real-Time Reporting of GPS Spoofing/GNSS Interference Events around IGI Airport. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also requested Wireless Monitoring Organization (WMO) to possibly identify the source of interference/ spoofing…”

“During the high-level meeting, WMO was directed to mobilise more resources to identify the source of spoofing based on approximate spoofing location details shared by DGCA and AAI. After mandated by DGCA to report instances of GPS Jamming/Spoofing since November 2023, regular reports are being received from other major airports in the country. GNSS Interference Reports are being received from Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports. Minimum Operating Network (MON) consisting of Conventional (Ground based) Navigation and Surveillance Infrastructure are retained in accordance with global best practices. India is participating in global platforms to keep itself abreast of the latest methodology & technology for timely implementation of the same. Further, the global Cyber Security threats to the aviation sector are in the form of ransomware/ malware. To enhance cyber security against global threats, AAI is implementing advanced cyber security solutions for IT Networks and Infrastructure. These actions have been taken in accordance with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) guidelines. Cyber security is ensured by continuous upgradation. As the nature and type of the threat changes, new protective measures are being taken,” he added.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the government is not averse to take up discussion on anything, including SIR, electoral reforms.

“Give some time to respond…Do not put a condition on timeline for discussion on SIR, electoral reforms,” he said.

He added that the opposition’s demand for discussion on SIR is under govt’s consideration. “It is not rejected”.

In Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays on the Table, a statement showing the Supplementary Demands for Grants, for 2025-26.

On his first day as Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan thanked the Members for their good wishes:

“It is my honour and privilege to serve Bharat Mata. I thank you for electing me as Vice-President of India & Chairman of the Rajya Sabha,” he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said that political parties issue manifestos to show people their vision and promises.

“Today, the BJP owes a huge responsibility to the people of Bihar. The opposition never indulges in drama, we only stop those who do. We simply demand that the government fulfil what it has written in its manifesto. Winning or losing elections is a part of democracy, but commitments made to the public must be honoured,” he said.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the government over parliament’s non-functioning.

She said, “The government does not want to discuss any issue. How will the House function if they refuse to hold discussions?”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday tabled supplementary demands for grants for 2025-26.

She has sought Parliament’s approval for a Rs 41,500 Cr net cash outgo in its first supplementary. The largest allocation is going to fertiliser and LPG subsidies.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said, “The more the Opposition keeps losing, the more desperate it becomes. The Congress and other parties are in such disarray that they are scrambling.”

“Parliament has not been able to function properly, and discussions could not take place. Because of this behaviour, they are losing credibility in the eyes of the people and are losing elections,” she said.

Lok Sabha clears Manipur Goods and Services Tax (2nd Amendment) Bill; and the house has been adjourned the day.

After adjournment, the proceedings of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have resumed.

Lok Sabha discusses Manipur Goods and Services Tax (2nd Amendment) Bill.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that in Parliament, issues from both the ruling party and the opposition should be raised, and due attention and importance should be given, especially those of the opposition.

He alleged that the ruling party only wants to discuss its own issues. It only wants to discuss the laws it introduced, he added.

“The government hasn’t included a single issue raised by the opposition parties in today’s agenda. So what’s the point? Why call opposition parties to a meeting? Is it to assess their priorities before the House proceedings? We all agree that a discussion should be held regarding the electoral process. But the government hasn’t yet told us when this discussion will take place…They are hijacking democracy, Parliament and parliamentary decorum and that is why the opposition parties repeatedly protest.”

The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till 2 pm.

The Congress on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “biggest dramabaaz” while reacting to his remark of “no drama only delivery”, ahead of the winter session of parliament.

Congress said the PM accusing the opposition of indulging in drama in Parliament is “nothing but hypocrisy”.