The fourth day of the Parliament Winter Session 2025 witnessed a sharp focus on public health and fiscal policy, with the opposition Congress party mounting pressure on the government over the deteriorating air quality in North India. Simultaneously, the Union Finance Minister moved a significant financial bill for consideration in the Lower House.
Congress Declares Air Pollution a National Emergency
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, Congress MPs submitted adjournment motion notices in the Lok Sabha, demanding an immediate discussion on the severe air pollution engulfing Delhi-NCR and several other northern states. The party has urged the central government to officially declare the situation a national health emergency.
In his notice, Congress MP Manickam Tagore launched a strong critique of the government's approach. He accused the administration of being "paralysed", relying on advisories instead of concrete action, forming committees without delivering solutions, and promoting slogans over a coordinated national strategy to combat the toxic air.
Finance Minister Tables Health and National Security Cess Bill
While the pollution debate simmered, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took up crucial legislative business. She moved the Health Security & National Security Cess Bill, 2025 for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. The bill had been introduced in the Lower House just days prior.
The proposed legislation aims to generate additional resources for funding expenditures related to national security and public health. It seeks to achieve this by levying a cess on the production of specific goods. The bill explicitly names pan masala as one such product, with provisions to notify other goods in the future.
However, the proposed cess has already drawn criticism from the opposition. On Wednesday, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram argued that merely increasing a "sin tax" would not effectively reduce consumption. He emphasized the need for a holistic government plan to curb usage and provide alternative livelihoods for workers in the affected industries.
Context of Ongoing Protests
The day's proceedings followed sustained opposition protests on the previous day, Wednesday, December 3. Leaders of the INDIA bloc staged a demonstration outside Parliament against the implementation of the four new Labour Codes. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the charge, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for what she termed a "pro-capitalist and anti-worker mindset" in pushing through these long-pending codes.
The Winter Session continues to be a battleground for key policy debates, with public health, fiscal policy, and labour reforms at the forefront of political discourse.
