16 Bills, including Waqf, to be tabled this session

New Delhi: Sixteen bills, including the Finance Bill 2025, amendments to the Waqf and Banking Regulations Act, and the merging of the Indian Railways and Indian Railways Board Acts, will be tabled in Parliament's Budget session, which begins Friday with the Economic Survey 2024/25.

Among the 13 others likely this session are amendments to the Disaster Management and Oilfields (Regulation and Development) laws. Bills dealing with coastal and merchant shipping and another seeking to re-name the Institute of Rural Management Anand as the Tribhuvan Sahkari University and declare it 'an institution of national importance' may also be presented.

Bills looking to safeguard financial interests related to the aviation sector and change current regulations relating to immigration and the entry of foreigners are also expected this session.

Finally, another key bill expected is the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa. As the name suggests, this seeks to re-allocate Assembly seats in that state to better represent its ST communities.

The big-ticket items in this session, which will see Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman present an eighth union budget - leaving her just two behind the record of 10 set by Morarji Desai, are the Waqf (Amendment) and Finance Bills.

The bill proposing 44 changes to Waqf laws - the way Muslim charitable properties are managed in this country - was presented in Parliament in August last year.