Parliament clears bill to repeal 71 obsolete laws, streamline legal framework
The Repeal and Replacement Act, 2025, moved by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Rajya Sabha, was passed by voice vote. The Lok Sabha had approved the Bill a day earlier.
Introducing the bill, Meghwal said its aim is to repeal obsolete laws, correct drafting errors that have arisen over time and address discriminatory provisions in certain laws. He said the broader aim was to increase “ease of living” alongside the government’s focus on ease of doing business.
“If a law has become obsolete or obsolete, the government will not hesitate to legislate to repeal it,” the minister told the House of Representatives.
Cleaning up old laws and eliminating inconsistencies
The Bill proposes to repeal 71 Acts, some of which date back to the colonial period. These include the Indian Tramway Act of 1886; Levy Sugar Price Equalization Fund Act, 1976; and the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (Determination of Conditions of Service of Employees) Act, 1988.
Additionally, changes are planned to be made in four laws. These include the General Provisions Act 1897 and the Code of Civil Procedure 1908, where it is proposed to update outdated terminology such as references to registered offices. Amendments have also been proposed to the Indian Succession Act, 1925, to remove the requirement for compulsory court attestation of wills in certain cases, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to correct a drafting error.
Meghwal noted that the government has repealed or amended 1,577 old laws since 2014, of which 1,562 were completely repealed and 15 were re-enacted in an updated form.
Debate over intent and effect
During the debate, Meghwal cited provisions under the Indian Succession Act to argue that some laws still have discriminatory elements. He noted that wills made by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis in the old Madras, Bombay and Calcutta presidencies required inheritance, while similar conditions did not apply to Muslims.
“Any form of discrimination based on religion, caste or gender is prohibited by the Constitution,” he said, adding that the reforms were part of a broader effort to move away from the colonial legal mindset.
However, not all members accepted the government’s framework. Congress MP Vivek K Tankha questioned the claim that the exercise amounts to decolonization of the legal system, claiming that the bill is largely a technical exercise and does not adequately consider its real-world impact on citizens.
Ruling wing BJP MLA Subhash Barala said old laws have been causing hardship to people for a long time and their removal will ease unnecessary procedural hurdles. Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev said the law provides an opportunity for the government to reconsider provisions that could undermine civil liberties, democratic values and dissent.
Members from various parties, including DMK, YSRCP, BJD, AIADMK, CPI(M), IUML, BSP, AAP, BJP and JMM, also participated in the discussion, reflecting the wide political involvement on the practice of pruning India’s law books.
The bill, which has now passed both Houses, will be submitted to the president for approval, marking another step in the government’s ongoing efforts to streamline the legal framework and remove laws that no longer serve contemporary needs.
