Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The Lok Sabha today passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025. The Bill provides for the repeal of certain enactments and the amendment of certain other enactments.
It repeals 71 Acts, including the Indian Tramways Act, 1886, the Levy Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act, 1976, and the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (Determination of Conditions of Service of Employees) Act, 1988.
The Bill also amends four Acts. It amends the General Clauses Act, 1897 and the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, to update terminologies for registered posts.
The Indian Succession Act, 1925, is being amended to remove the requirement to obtain validation of wills by the Courts in certain cases. The Bill also amends the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to rectify a drafting error.
Replying to the discussion of the Bill in the House, Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the House that under the Narendra Modi government, since May 2014, a total of one thousand 577 laws have been repealed, which had become redundant and obsolete.
He said, of the one thousand 562 laws were completely repealed, and 15 were re-enacted. Mr Meghwal said that the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, has been brought with the objective of repealing or amending 71 Acts, out of which 65 are Amendment Acts, and six are Principal Acts.
Mr Meghwal further said that in the last 11 years, the government has significantly reduced over 40 thousand compliance burdens and ensured ease of business along with ease of living.
He said the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to adopt a citizen-centric approach in its policies and works and serve the people with the mantra of minimum government and maximum governance.
Earlier, moving the Bill, Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, the Bill seeks to repeal obsolete laws identified by the Legislative Department. He said, when a law loses its utility or relevance, it is repealed. Mr Meghwal said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reforms are being carried out in the legal system to make laws more accessible to the common citizens.
He said, since 2014, the government has been working on the mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform. The Minister said that, since May 2014, a total of one thousand 577 unnecessary and obsolete laws have been repealed. Mr Meghwal said that these reforms are steps towards freeing the country from a colonial mindset.
Initiating the discussion, Dean Kuriakose of Congress opposed the bill and demanded its withdrawal. He accused the government of diluting some provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, through this bill. He emphasised for put in place strong preventive measures.
Manoj Tiwari of the BJP supported the bill and said that through this legislation, some of the laws enacted between 1886 to 1988 are being amended or repealed. He said, out of 71 Acts, the maximum Acts are those whose changes have already been incorporated into the principal Acts, and their retention as separate Acts is not necessary.
Lalji Verma of SP demanded that the government withdraw the bill, saying that it should be sent to the Parliamentary committee for wider consultation as to why the repealing of some of the Acts is required.
During his speech, Independent MP Engineer Rashid sought an amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Other Members, including Hanuman Beniwal of RLP, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer of AAP, Raju Bista of BJP, Independent MP Pappu Yadav, Gurumurti Maddila of YSRCP, also participated in the discussion.