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Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Today is the fifth day of the winter session of Parliament. Opposition parties are attacking the government on many issues. The opposition is demanding a debate on SIR and air pollution. Opposition and sir…read more
Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Friday is the fifth day of the winter session of Parliament. (file photo)
Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Friday 5 December 2025 is the fifth day of the winter session of Parliament. Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Thursday that the Indian Parliament will soon form an India-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Group. He made this announcement during a meeting with a high level delegation of Saudi Arabia. This delegation reached the Parliament House today under the leadership of Major General Abdul Rahman bin Sanhat Al-Harbi of the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia. Al-Harbi is the chairman of the Saudi-India Parliamentary Friendship Committee. Welcoming the delegation, Om Birla said that parliamentary diplomacy is an important medium for better understanding, exchange of experiences and strong institutional cooperation between countries. He stressed the need for regular dialogue between the parliamentary committees of the two countries.
The Lok Sabha Speaker said that religious, cultural and economic relations between India and Saudi Arabia are centuries old. Frequent high-level meetings over the past decade have further strengthened partnerships in defence, energy, capacity building and many new strategic areas. Om Birla expressed his gratitude to the Saudi government for the continuous help and support received by the large Indian community living in Saudi Arabia. He said that Indian expatriates are respected all over the world because of their hard work, discipline and contribution. Speaker Birla said that the increasing popularity of yoga in Saudi Arabia is an example of the growing cultural ties between the people of the two countries. Talking about cooperation on global issues, he said that India and Saudi Arabia should work together on forums like G20, P20 and IPU. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the cornerstone of India’s global policy and Parliament is also moving forward in the same spirit.
Parliament approves levy on tobacco
Parliament on Thursday approved a bill under which higher excise duty will be imposed on tobacco and related products when the GST compensation cess is abolished. Rajya Sabha has sent this bill back to Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha had passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Wednesday. Responding to the discussion on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that this is not an additional tax. The tax burden which is currently applicable under the GST system will continue in future also. He said that this issue was discussed in detail in the recent GST Council meeting, and it was already decided that the collection of GST Compensation Cess would stop by the end of December. Sitharaman said, ‘I want to make it clear that 40% tax will continue to be levied on tobacco products under the demerit category in the GST structure. 40% tax will continue, only now there will be no compensation cess on it.
December 5, 202509:18 IST
Breaking News LIVE: Home Minister Amit Shah’s three-day visit to Gujarat from today, will inaugurate many projects
Breaking news live: Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s three-day Gujarat tour will start from Friday. During this time he will participate in 25 public programs in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Sanadar (Deodar), Vav-Tharad and surrounding areas. The objective of this visit is to promote cooperative sector reforms, urban development, public welfare infrastructure and cultural outreach in the state. Amit Shah’s tour will begin with the inauguration of ‘Swadeshotsav’ organized by Swadeshi Jagran Manch at GMDC Ground in Memnagar. Later he will attend the concluding session of NABARD’s Earth Summit 2025 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The Home Minister will inaugurate many civic facilities on the first day. During this, he will inaugurate a new public park, a yoga studio, a primary school building, LC-11 railway overbridge, an under-bridge sports complex, a primary health center and PNG gas pipeline connection in three villages. He will end the day with the closing ceremony of the Parliament Sports Festival, followed by the inauguration of the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival.
December 5, 202508:58 IST
Parliament Winter Session 5th Day LIVE: SP MPs corner the government
Parliament Winter Session Live: Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs on Thursday accused the central government of wasting Parliament’s time. He said that on the fourth day of the winter session of Parliament, SP MPs will try to raise many urgent and serious issues, including the recent case of alleged cough syrup smuggling in Varanasi. SP MP Rajiv Rai criticized the Center for trying to avoid discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), saying who is wasting Parliament’s time? This government was avoiding discussion on SIR and now it easily agreed. The government has neither policy, nor direction, nor ideology. We will expose them whenever we get a chance. SP MP Virendra Singh said he was trying to raise several “important issues” in Parliament, including the cough syrup issue in Varanasi, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency.
December 5, 202508:54 IST
Parliament Winter Session 5th Day LIVE: Parliamentary committee made this recommendation regarding investigation of Lokpal
Parliament Winter Session Live: A parliamentary committee on Thursday suggested that the investigation and prosecution branches of the Lokpal be made operational immediately, so that it can effectively discharge its legal rights and responsibilities without any delay. The law related to the anti-corruption Lokpal (Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013) came into force from January 1, 2014, but the Lokpal institution started functioning from March 27, 2019, when its Chairman and members were appointed. Under the law, Section 11 makes it mandatory for the Lokpal to create an investigation wing, which will be headed by a ‘Director of Inquiry’. Its job is to conduct preliminary investigation in cases related to corruption. There is also a provision in the Lokpal Act that a prosecution branch should be created, which will be headed by the ‘Director of Prosecution’. Its job is to take legal action against government employees or officials in cases related to corruption.
