In a significant legislative clean-up, the Lok Sabha has given its nod to a bill aimed at repealing a total of 71 laws that have become obsolete or redundant. The move, passed during the ongoing winter session of Parliament on December 16, 2025, seeks to declutter the nation's statute books.
Reversing the Colonial Legacy
Introducing 'The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025', Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the changes are part of a broader effort to reverse the effects of colonisation on India's legal framework. The bill targets laws that have outlived their purpose, including some that date back to the 19th century, thereby modernising the legal system.
The Sweeping List of Laws Set for Repeal
The comprehensive list of 71 laws slated for repeal spans over a century and a half of Indian legislative history. It includes archaic acts as well as more recent amendments that are no longer relevant. Some notable laws on the list are:
- The Indian Tramways Act, 1886 – A relic from the pre-independence era.
- The Britannia Engineering Company Limited (Mokameh Unit) and the Arthur Butler and Company (Muzaffarpore) Limited (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1978 – A sector-specific act whose purpose has been served.
- The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015 – An amendment that has since been superseded.
- The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017
- The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
- The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021
- The Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023
The list also encompasses multiple amendments to laws concerning Scheduled Tribes, banking regulations, insolvency codes, and university acts from 2017 through 2023, indicating a thorough review of recent legislation as well.
Amendments to Existing Acts
Beyond the repeals, the bill also proposes technical corrections and amendments to a few existing acts to rectify formal defects. The laws proposed to be amended include:
- The General Clauses Act, 1897
- The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
- The Indian Succession Act, 1925
- The Disaster Management Act, 2005
Rationale and Impact
The bill describes itself as a "periodical measure" to remove enactments that have ceased to be in force, become obsolete, or whose retention as separate acts is unnecessary. This exercise in legal pruning is expected to simplify the legal landscape, reduce confusion, and make laws more accessible to citizens and the judiciary. It underscores the government's commitment to shedding colonial baggage and ensuring that India's legal system remains dynamic and relevant to contemporary needs.
The passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha marks a crucial step, and it will now move to the Rajya Sabha for further consideration before becoming law.
