The Indian Parliament has given the nod to the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019. Its aim is to abolish specific legislations while amending some others. The bill proposes the scrapping of fifty-eight outdated laws, inclusive of the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976, and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001, which are deemed irrelevant in today’s time. It further abrogates the Tea (Amendment) Act, 1980, the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Act, 2007, and the Central Universities Act, 2009. Additionally, it proffers minor changes to the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the India Institutes of Management Act, 2017. This legislative enactment aims at attaining minimum legislation and maximum governance. Regular revision and removal of antiquated laws are part of this governance process. As a matter of fact, since 2014, as many as 1428 central laws considered obsolete have been eradicated by the government.
Scrapping of Fifty-Eight Outdated Laws
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019, is set to do away with fifty-eight old laws that no longer hold relevance in current times. Among these is the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976, designed to promote the welfare of workers involved in the Beedi industry, and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001, established to regulate and control motor vehicles.
Nullification of Certain Other Acts
Besides the fifty-eight laws, the bill also seeks to negate the Tea (Amendment) Act, 1980, the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Act, 2007, and the Central Universities Act, 2009. As these Acts have lost their applicability in the present socio-economic context, it has been deemed necessary to repeal them.
Amendments to Existing Legislations
Beyond the repeal of certain acts, this Bill also speaks of making modifications to a few existing legislations. Amongst these are the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the India Institutes of Management Act, 2017. While the specifics of these amendments are yet to be disclosed, they are being introduced with the intent of realigning these Acts to cater better to contemporary requirements.
| Act | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act | 1976 | Repealed |
| Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act | 2001 | Repealed |
| Tea (Amendment) Act | 1980 | Repealed |
| Central Road Fund (Amendment) Act | 2007 | Repealed |
| Central Universities Act | 2009 | Repealed |
| Income Tax Act | 1961 | Amended |
| India Institutes of Management Act | 2017 | Amended |
Reducing Legislation and Enhancing Governance
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019, formulates part of the wider agenda of the government to ensure minimum legislation and maximum governance. This policy underscores the need for constant review and elimination of outdated laws to streamline the legislative framework. As a step in this direction, as many as 1428 defunct central laws have been abrogated since 2014.
