NEW DELHI: The second part of Parliamentโs Budget Session began on March 10, 2025. The government aims to complete the budget process, secure approval for the Manipur Budget 2025, and pass key bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The first part of Parliamentโs Budget session this year drew to a close on February 13. The second part of the session will continue until April 4.
Manipur Budget
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present Manipur Budget 2025 in Lok Sabha. The state has been under Presidentโs Rule since February 13, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Home Minister Amit Shah is also set to seek parliamentary approval for the proclamation of Presidentโs Rule in Manipur.
Key Bills and Reports
Several bills and reports are scheduled for presentation. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and BJP MP Saumitra Khan will present reports on Home Affairs, North Eastern Development, and Prison Reforms. In Rajya Sabha, similar reports will be tabled by Dr. Radha Mohan Agrawal and Ajay Makan.
The government will also introduce the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 to grant national importance status to the Institute of Rural Management Anand. The Bills of Lading Bill, 2024 will be presented to facilitate ownership transfer of goods.
Opposition Challenges
The opposition is expected to raise concerns over electoral roll manipulation and renewed violence in Manipur. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi demanded a discussion on alleged duplicate voter ID cards.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad accused the government of ignoring key issues like job shortages and Manipurโs security crisis.
Opposition parties, led by Congress, staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha after their request for a discussion on duplicate voter IDs and foreign funding was rejected.
Trinamool Congress alleged voter list tampering in West Bengal, but the Election Commission denied the claims.
Tax and Education Reforms
Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the New Income Tax Bill, 2025, aiming to modernize tax laws. The bill proposes simplified language and clearer tax definitions. It will replace the Income Tax Act, 1961, and take effect from April 1, 2026.
Education Funds Controversy Sparks Debate
A DMK MP accused the Centre of withholding education funds, questioning whether school funds were being used as a tool for political retaliation against state governments.
During Question Hour, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back, criticizing the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government for its shifting stance on the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula.
Pradhan accused the Tamil Nadu government of politicizing the issue and claimed that states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, despite not being BJP-ruled, had accepted the NEP and were implementing the PM Shri scheme.
He alleged that the DMK government was jeopardizing the future of Tamil Naduโs students by focusing on โlanguage politicsโ rather than governance.
However, he also emphasized that the Centre remains open for discussions and that a compromise had been reached in earlier talks with the Tamil Nadu government. If the state agrees, PM Shri school allocations will proceed, with Tamil being the exclusive medium of instruction.
