New Delhi: Following the presentation of the Economic Survey on January 31 and the Union Budget on February 1, the Budget Session 2025 is poised to address a range of significant legislative matters.

This year’s session will not only include the introduction and passage of key bills but also crucial financial discussions that will shape India’s fiscal landscape.

Series Of Important Bills Likely To Be Taken Up

A series of important bills are likely to be taken up during the session. These include the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aimed at strengthening banking regulations and oversight, and the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which focuses on enhancing the operational efficiency of the Indian Railways.

Another notable proposal is the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to improve disaster response mechanisms across the country.

Additionally, the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024 will propose updates to the laws surrounding oil exploration and extraction, while the Boilers Bill, 2024 is set to introduce new safety and operational standards for boilers in industrial applications.

Among other bills likely to be introduced is the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, which will address the reallocation of assembly constituencies to better represent scheduled tribes in the state.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 are also expected to bring reforms to the management of religious endowments.

Maritime Laws To See Several Updates

Maritime laws will see several updates, with the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, and the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024 all set to modernize shipping regulations.

Above all, the Finance Bill, 2025 will be central to implementing the budgetary proposals and tax reforms which will be announced by the finance minister on February 1.

Other key bills include the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025, which will safeguard financial interests related to aviation, and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, which will bring changes to immigration and foreigner regulations in India.

In terms of financial business, the session will see the discussion and voting on Demands for Grants for 2025-26, followed by the introduction, consideration, and passage of the related Appropriation Bill.

The Discussion and Voting on Demands for Grants for 2025-26 is an essential aspect of parliamentary procedures, allowing for the approval of government spending for the upcoming fiscal year while promoting accountability and transparency.

Demands for Grants are essentially requests made by the government to Parliament, specifying the amount of money it needs to meet its expenses for a given year.

These expenses cover a wide range of areas, such as infrastructure, healthcare, defence, education, welfare programs, and more. Each ministry or department submits its own Demands for Grants, detailing the specific amounts needed to fund its activities and programs.

Additionally, the Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2024-25 will be reviewed, along with the introduction and passage of the relevant Appropriation Bill.

What Are 2nd & Final Batch Of Supplementary Demands For Grants For 2024-25

The Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2024-25 refers to additional funds that the government seeks to allocate after the presentation of the annual budget for the fiscal year. These supplementary demands arise when there are changes in the government’s spending needs, which were not anticipated during the initial budget preparation.

The session will also address the Demands for Excess Grants for 2021-22, which will require discussion, voting, and the introduction of a related Appropriation Bill.

Demands for Excess Grants for 2021-22 refer to additional funds that the government seeks to appropriate for the financial year 2021-22 when the expenditure incurred by various ministries or departments exceeded the amount originally approved by Parliament in the budget for that fiscal year.

Ahmedabad, Jan 30: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Thursday reported a 14 per cent net profit jump in the October-December quarter this fiscal (FY25) at Rs 2,518 crore, from Rs 2,208 crore in the same period last fiscal (FY24).

In the nine months of FY25, the flagship company of the Adani Group posted an impressive 32 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 8,038 crore from 6,089 crore in the same period of FY24.

The company also increased EBITDA guidance for FY25 to Rs 18,800-Rs 18,900 crore (from Rs 17,000-Rs 18,000 crore).

The revenue for the nine-month period in FY25, which ended December 31, grew 14 per cent and EBITDA grew 19 per cent, Adani Ports said in a statement.

“I am excited to share the fantastic momentum we have achieved during 9M FY25, driven by exceptional execution across three key areas of our business — market share gains coupled with volume-price mix increase, traction in logistics vertical, and operational efficiencies along with technology-led gains,” said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ.

Operating revenue grew by 14 per cent (on-year) to Rs 22,590 crore. Ports revenue increased by 11 per cent to Rs 17,172 crore and logistics revenue increased by 22 per cent to Rs 1,852 crore.

“On the logistics front, in line with our commitment earlier in the year, we launched a new trucking platform, which is being integrated across the rest of the logistics value chain and will make us a true integrated Transport Utility,” he added.

APSEZ clocked 332 million metric tonnes (7 per cent increase year-on-year) cargo volume in the nine months this fiscal, led by growth in containers (+19 per cent), liquids and gas (+8 per cent) and dry and dry bulk cargo (iron ore, limestone, minerals, coking coal, etc.), partially offset by a decline in imported non-coking coal.

“We have also upgraded our FY25 EBITDA forecast to Rs 18,800-Rs 18,900 crore. Moreover, it is incredibly gratifying to be recognised by S&P Global CSA as one of the Top 10 companies globally in the transport industry. This prestigious recognition reflects our focus on imbibing sustainability across our operations,” said Gupta.

In November, Mundra handled 396 vessels and executed 845 vessel movements, making it the highest-ever monthly achievement by the port. Mundra Port also exported a record-breaking 5,405 cars in a single consignment during the month.

New Delhi, Jan 29: Air India on Wednesday announced that it will restart its non-stop flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, with the first flight scheduled to take off on March 2.

Resuming flights is part of the airline’s efforts to expand its international routes and improve travel options between India and Israel, it said in a statement.

The airline will operate five flights a week on this route, using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

These planes offer 18 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy Class. The direct service is expected to make travel between Delhi and Tel Aviv more convenient.

According to Air India, flight AI139 will depart from Delhi on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 3.55 p.m. (IST) and arrive in Tel Aviv at 7.25 p.m. (local time).

The return flight, AI140, will leave Tel Aviv at 9.10 p.m. and land in Delhi at 6:10 a.m. the following morning.

“Bookings for the Delhi-Tel Aviv flights are now open. Passengers can reserve their seats through Air India’s website, mobile app, or travel agents,” said the national carrier.

Air India’s decision to resume this route came after receiving the necessary approvals. The airline aims to strengthen its global network, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.

The national carrier had halted flight operations to and from Tel Aviv last year amid growing tensions in parts of the Middle East, saying they were continuously monitoring the situation.

The revival of this service is expected to boost travel between India and Israel, further enhancing diplomatic and business ties between the two nations.

Meanwhile, the Tata group-owned airline announced earlier this month that the company will offer inflight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity services on domestic flights.