The Lok Sabha passed a bill to levy a cess on manufacturing units of pan masala, and utilise the fund for strengthening national security and improving public health.

Replying to the debate on the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the cess will be shared with the states, as public health is a state subject.

Sitharaman said pan masala will be taxed at the maximum 40 per cent rate under Goods and Services Tax (GST) based on its consumption, and there will be no impact of this cess on GST revenues.

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BJP member in the Lok Sabha Nishikant Dubey accused successive Congress governments at the Centre and states of denying reservation to economically weaker sections, SCs, STs and OBCs, and at the same time giving it to Muslims and demanded a committee to look into the issue.

He said extending reservation on religious lines is against provisions of the Constitution, but still successive Congress governments at the Centre and in states have attempted to do it.

Congress member Shaktisinh Gohil demanded that the Centre must intervene to ensure adequate compensation for Gujarat's farmers who suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rains during the Diwali period.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said crops were ready for harvesting after Diwali, but rains caused huge damage to crops, resulting in significant financial losses to farmers.

The Congress member urged the Centre to intervene immediately and ensure that farmers receive full compensation.

TMC MP Shatabdi Roy alleged that Bangla-speaking people were being deported to Bangladesh, asserting that language cannot be used as a criterion for such action.

Speaking in Bangla during Zero Hour, Roy cited a recent case in Odisha and continued despite Chair Krishna Prasad Tennati asking her to state her demand. Her microphone was eventually switched off after her time ended.

Roy added that if Bangla speakers could be sent to Bangladesh, then BJP members “should be sent to Pakistan for speaking Hindi and Urdu”.

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Rajya Sabha Nominated MP Sudha Murty on Friday urged the government to set norms on the portrayal of children on social media platforms, as it is essential to inculcate a good value system among the younger generation.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, she expressed serious concern about how children are being depicted on social media, and cited regulations on the portrayal of children from several advanced countries like France. "Children are our future, and we should develop our children in a good value system, good education, sports and many other activities," Murty said.

She stated that social media has now become very popular and there are many advantages, but there are also flip sides to it. Many parents expose their innocent children on social media platforms, she said.

"...they are exposed to different types of costumes, dress, commercialisation, and put them on social media so that they can have 10,000, 1 million and half a million followers. This will help them (parents) financially a lot, I am aware of it, but what happens to the child?" she asked.

Murty said the children become a source of income to parents, but it affects the child's psychology in the long term.

"The child will lose innocence. The child does not give permission because the child is not aware of it. It will affect the children's psychology. They will not learn how to do any social activity, or sports, or even receive a good education," she observed.

Murty requested the central government to regulate this. She noted that the government has done fantastic work in regulating the portrayal of children in advertisements and the film industry.

"You are regulating in the advertisement, children's advertisement, children working or acting in a film. All those things have been taken care of, and there are strict laws implemented. Whereas when it comes to social media, it is not done," Murty said.

In the absence of regulations and restrictions, she warned that this would cause a great problem in future for our children.

"There should be a restriction. Children cannot use a certain kind of dress and dance... because this is not the way how we can bring up the next generation of our children," Murty added.

The cancellation of approximately 500 flights by IndiGo over the last two days came up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with Congress member Pramod Tiwari expressing concern over the airline's monopoly and its impact on parliamentarians and common citizens.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Tiwari said the flight cancellations had affected several MPs who had made travel plans for the weekend.

"On one issue, many are concerned, and you will also agree with me. One airline, IndiGo, has cancelled 500 flights yesterday (Thursday) and the day before yesterday (Wednesday). I am raising the current issue (which concerns all)," Tiwari said.

He pointed out that many members had booked flights to return home on Friday and return on Monday, but are now facing difficulties.

"The problem has arisen due to the monopoly of one airline. I want to request through you the minister in charge who has made this rule due to which the problem has arisen, and update the House when the problem will be addressed. Is the government taking any steps?" the Congress MP asked.

Responding to the concerns, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju assured the House that the government was looking into the matter.

"Before coming to the House, I spoke to the Civil Aviation Minister. The government is considering the technical problems the airline faces. I have told the civil aviation minister to prepare a response as members concerned will raise the issue in the House," Rijiju said.

He said both the House and the citizens needed to be informed about the situation.

Lok Sabha resumed its proceedings after the House had earlier been adjourned till 12 noon on Friday amid protests by DMK members over the lamp lighting row in Tamil Nadu.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva has submitted a Suspension of Business Notice in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 267, during the fifth day of the Parliament's Winter Session, seeking a discussion on what he termed "provoked communal tension in Tamil Nadu created by forces with vested interests."

According to the notice dated December 4, Siva requested the suspension of Rules 15, 23 and 51, along with any other business listed for Friday, to enable the Upper House to take up the matter on priority.

"Under Rule 267 (Notice of Motion for Suspension of rules) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Council of States (Rajya Sabha), I hereby give notice of my intention to move the following motion:- I seek your consent under Rule 267 of the "Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States" to suspend Rules 15, 23, and 51, and any other business listed under any other Rule in the List of Business, revised or otherwise, for 5th December 2025, to discuss the following issue of urgent importance: Provoked communal tension in Tamil Nadu created by forces with vested interests," the letter read.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Friday amid protests by DMK members over the lamp lighting row in Tamil Nadu.

The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court order permitting devotees of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light traditional 'Karthigai Deepam lamp' at 'Deepathoon', a stone lamp pillar located on the Thiruparankundram hillock close to a dargah.

DMK members sought to raise the issue in the House and some of them also protested in the Well of the House.

Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that the matter is subjudice and urged them to go back to their seats.

During the Question Hour, at least four questions and their supplementaries were taken up.

As the protests continued, the proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon.

The Lok Sabha will take up the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, for further consideration and passage on the Day 5 of the Winter Session of parliament on Friday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the bill which introduces a cess on pan masala as the existing compensation cess under the GST regime is set to end. That portion will now shift into a 40% cess.

The Bill, as stated by FM Sitharaman in the Lower House, aims to augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health and to levy cess for the said purposes on the machines installed or other processes undertaken by which specified goods are manufactured or produced and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

On Thursday, elaborating on the rationale behind the Bill, Sitharaman said, "A cess is being imposed because the GST system taxes consumption, and even today, pan masala is taxed under GST at 28 per cent plus compensation cess. Since the compensation cess is going to end, that portion will shift into a 40 per cent cess.

"However, many types of pan masala still do not fall under the tax net because GST is applied on the basis of consumption. Under GST, there is no tax based on production capacity or output. That is why tobacco is taxed under GST and was also brought under excise duty recently," the finance minister added.

She further noted that excise duty taxes production, but pan masala cannot be taxed on production because it is not classified as an excisable product. "So, while cigarettes were brought under excise duty and ideally pan masala should have been included too, it cannot be added because it is not in the excise category," Sitharaman said.

"Therefore, cigarettes now face excise duty, as they should, with more than 40% tax, so they are not cheaply available, but pan masala cannot be taxed this way. Hence, through the new law, the government is imposing a production-based tax in the form of a cess," the finance minister added.