Bill on civil nuclear sector among proposed legislations for winter session

A bill seeking to open up the civil nuclear sector for private players is among the 10 new proposed legislations listed by the government for introduction in the winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1.

Besides the crucial 'The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025', which seeks to govern the use and regulation of atomic energy in India, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill is also on the agenda.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the proposed law seeks to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes to become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy.

It has long been on the government's agenda.

The National Highways (Amendment) Bill, also listed for introduction, seeks to ensure faster and transparent land acquisition for national highways. Another proposed legislation is the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims at tweaking the Companies Act, 2013 and LLP Act, 2008, to facilitate ease of doing business.

Also on the government's agenda is the Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025, which proposes to consolidate provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, Depositories Act, 1996, and Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, into a rationalised single Securities Markets Code.

The government also plans changes to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Law Ministry officials said a proposed amendment to section 34 of the law and a Supreme Court observation on company directors have made the government refer the issue to a committee. The proposed amendment stems from that.

Two bills from the previous session are also listed for consideration and passing. The first supplementary Budget for the year is also on the agenda, according to the bulletin.

The government has also listed the Securities Markets Code Bill 2025 for the Winter session of Parliament starting December 1, according to a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The unified securities markets code will help boost the ease of doing business in the country's financial markets.

The Bill seeks to merge the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, the Depositories Act, 1996 and the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 into a unified code.

The single securities markets code was first proposed in the Union Budget 2021-22, when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the plan to consolidate the Sebi Act, 1992, Depositories Act, 1996, Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 and Government Securities Act, 2007 into a rationalised single securities market code.

Experts believe a unified securities markets code would help cut compliance costs and reduce friction between rules enacted by the capital markets watchdog Sebi, depositories, and the government.

Additionally, bringing the Government Securities Act under the Securities Markets Code will also boost the credibility of the government's borrowings and thrust of foreign capital, they added.

The session, with 15 sittings, will conclude on December 19.