India is witnessing a flurry of governmental activity with major policy overhauls and new initiatives announced or brought into effect in the past 24 hours. These developments span labour, energy, social welfare, and international relations, reflecting a broad push towards modernization and targeted support.

Labour Reforms and Union Opposition

The central government has officially rolled out four new labour codes, consolidating 29 existing laws. These codes aim to simplify work rules, attract investment by liberalizing conditions, and enhance worker protections, including aspects of social security and minimum wage benefits. Key changes permit longer factory shifts and night work for women, and increase the threshold for companies to undertake layoffs without prior government approval from 100 to 300 workers, granting businesses greater flexibility. The reforms also extend benefits to fixed-term, contract, gig, and platform workers, ensuring provisions like equal pay for equal work and gratuity after one year for fixed-term employees. However, these changes have met strong opposition from several trade unions, who have condemned them as "anti-worker" and are planning nationwide protests.

Power Sector Modernization

Major reforms for India's power sector have been unveiled through the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025. This legislation seeks to modernize distribution, foster competition by allowing multiple distribution licensees in the same area, and strengthen regulatory oversight. While subsidized consumers, such as farmers and low-income households, will continue to receive tariff support, industrial consumers are set to see cross-subsidies phased out within five years, aiming for more competitive and cost-reflective electricity pricing. The Bill also formally integrates Energy Storage Systems into the electricity ecosystem, preparing India's power system for future technologies.

Key Legislation for Parliament Winter Session

The Union government has listed ten significant Bills for introduction during the upcoming winter session of Parliament, commencing on December 1st. Among these are:

• The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, which proposes opening up the civil nuclear sector to private players.
• The Higher Education Commission of India Bill, designed to establish a new regulatory body to promote autonomy and excellence in higher education institutions.
• The National Highways (Amendment) Bill, aimed at accelerating and making more transparent the land acquisition process for national highways.
• The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which will modify the Companies Act, 2013, and the LLP Act, 2008, to enhance the ease of doing business.
• The Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025, intended to consolidate various existing securities acts into a single, rationalized code.
• The Constitution (131 Amendment) Bill 2025, proposing to include the Union Territory of Chandigarh in Article 240 of the Constitution, aligning its governance with other Union Territories without legislatures.

New Welfare Scheme: Federal $2000 Deposit

A significant financial aid initiative, the Federal $2000 Deposit Scheme 2025, has been announced by the Central Government. Under this program, eligible beneficiaries across India are expected to receive a direct cash benefit of $2,000 in November 2025. This scheme is a consolidation of various welfare programs, targeting women under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi or Ladli Behena Yojana, senior citizens, widows, disabled persons, farmers, poor families (NFSA cardholders), construction workers, E-Shram card holders, and students receiving scholarships.

India's G20 Proposals

At the recent G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forth six major initiatives reflecting India's policy priorities on the global stage. These include a dedicated G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus, a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository, a G20–Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative, a Global Healthcare Response Team, a Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative, and an Open Satellite Data Partnership. These proposals aim to strengthen health systems, expand knowledge-sharing, improve resource security, and confront global threats.

Other Notable Developments

• The Ministry of Education will host the fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS) 4.0 from December 2, 2025, with the theme "Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam," to promote Tamil language and cultural heritage and celebrate civilizational links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
• The Union Cabinet approved revised ad valorem royalty rates for critical minerals like graphite, caesium, rubidium, and zirconium to boost domestic mining.
• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched YUVA AI for ALL under the IndiaAI Mission, offering a free AI literacy course for citizens.
• In a state-specific development, the Delhi Government's Planning department initiated an evaluation study of its Senior Citizen Pension Scheme to assess benefits and identify ineligible beneficiaries.
• Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant affirmed the government's commitment to defending the 'Majhe Ghar' scheme and other regularization bills aimed at legalizing unauthorized constructions.
• Karnataka's Kodagu district highlighted its five "guarantee schemes," including free electricity (Gruha Jyothi) and monthly financial aid to women (Gruha Lakshmi), as a successful model for social welfare.