In recent times, the Parliament of India has initiated the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 as per the decision of the Prime Minister. In India, it is approximated that more than 3000 enactments are outdated and recurring. There also contain above 300 legislations framed during the British period which are not yet enforced. Some of the enactments are against the custom and usage of various sections of people in India. Sri.Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Law Minister has told that some of the legislations included in the law books are absurd and some others have no application in the modern welfare society. After 1947, the Law Commission in India had suggested for the repeal of many legislations which was taken up by the NDA Government in 2001. But the action did not continue in an organized manner.
The hon’ble Prime Minister Sri. Narendra Modi had promised that the Government will make genuine efforts to wash off unnecessary enactments that hinder the Indian citizens. He also promised that when the parliament enacts one Act, they will compulsorily repeal ten outdated legislation. As a result, the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 was brought forward that recommends repealing 36 outdated laws. The latest report regarding the issue found that the Ministry of Law has made out an additional 1094 enactments that have to be cancelled and has also decided to initiate a spanking new bill in the Parliament to annul 287 obsolete laws. The reason for such repeal, as the NDA Government points out, is that these laws are outmoded by modern legislation.
The laws that are to be repealed comes under the subject, partition and reorganization legislation after independence, Acts related with taxes and revenues imposed unnecessarily, control on business dealings legislation and laws that interfere with the personal affairs. Some of such enactments include Bengal Suppression of Terrorist Outrages (Supplementary) Act, 1932, The Oudh Sub-Settlement Act, 1867, The Research and Development Cess Act, 1986, Punjab Disturbed Areas Act, 1983, The Santhal Parganas Act, 1855, The Companies (Donations to National Funds) Act, 1951 etc. in addition, the term ‘Her Majesty’ is the term repeatedly seen in the statute books which the Indian citizens are not concerned about.