Minister seen sleeping in Lok Sabha during insurance amendment bill discussion

A moment from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday drew attention after a Union Minister was seen appearing to doze off during proceedings related to a key legislative proposal on insurance sector reforms.

The incident occurred while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 in the Lower House. Visuals from the session showed a minister seated on the treasury benches with eyes closed during the discussion, prompting reactions on social media as Parliament debated an important policy overhaul.

As per the business list of the House, the Bill seeks to amend three cornerstone legislations governing the insurance sector — the Insurance Act, 1938the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. Following the leave motion, the Finance Minister formally tabled the Bill for consideration.

The proposed amendments aim to modernise India’s insurance laws in line with evolving market dynamics, regulatory requirements, and policy objectives focused on expanding insurance penetration and strengthening consumer protection.

Alongside the introduction of the Insurance Amendment Bill, several Union Ministers laid papers related to their respective ministries on the table of the Lok Sabha. These included Jitin Prasada from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Krishan Pal from the Ministry of Cooperation, Ramdas Athawale from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ram Nath Thakur from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Nityanand Rai from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel and George Kurian from the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, B. L. Verma and Kamlesh Paswan from the Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment and Rural Development, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma from the Ministry of Heavy Industries, and Murlidhar Mohol from the Ministry of Cooperation. A separate detailed list of papers was shared, according to ANI.

The ongoing Winter Session marks the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the 269th session of the Rajya Sabha. The session began on December 1 and is scheduled to conclude on December 19.