A large number of these Acts confer more discretion upon enforcing agencies, making the life of general public more difficult, feels the committee.
Guess how many rules bind an average Indian citizen? There are some 30,000 pieces of legislation governing the country – both at the central and the state levels. That too is an estimate.
But those days are soon going to be behind us. From the next Parliament session slated in July, the Union government will start repealing antiquated laws burdening the statute book for more than 100 years.
Some of these Acts are outright obsolete. Here are three samples:
The Fort Williams Act, 1881: It delegates powers to officers of the army to try and punish persons charged with littering and disorderly behaviour in public.
The Sarais Act, 1867: It mandates that a sarai (guest house) owner has to serve water to every guest and even for their horses, among other things.
The Oriental Gas Company Act, 1857: It confers certain powers on Oriental Gas Company Ltd, which no longer exists.
Soon after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in tune with his slogan of 'maximum governance, minimum government' had set up a two-member committee to look into the statute book and recommend legislations that are no longer needed or require thorough modifications.
The two-member committee, headed by former secretary in the PMO R Ramanujam, in its four-volume final report, has now identified 1,741 central Acts, which have lost their relevance.
The committee has only studied the central statute. There could be many more such Acts in states.
A large number of these Acts confer more discretion upon enforcing agencies, making the life of general public more difficult, feels the committee.
Modi. in his first address in Parliament, had stated that archaic laws hamper governance and it is time they are weeded out.
There are 150 Central Acts which can be consolidated and enacted into 21 Central Acts to avoid multiplicity of laws, the committee said. It has also identified 55 central Acts that can be repealed and said that 'The Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867,' should be re-enacted.
The panel recommended the retention of 18 Central Acts, suggested for repeal by other committees/commissions. Reason being, on many of these Acts, the administrative ministry concerned could take the final decision in consultation with the law ministry.
Since 1834, as many as 6,612 Acts have been enacted. Of this, 2,781 currently exist in the central statute. During 115 years before the adoption of the Constitution, 2,911 central Acts were enacted. Thereafter, during 66 years, 3,701 central Acts came into force.
Last year, the Law Commission had submitted four reports recommending the repeal of 288 archaic laws. During the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister, the PC Jain Commission recommended repealing 1,382 central Acts. Till 2004, when the NDA was in power, it had repealed 315 Acts.
The Ramanujam Committee has prepared a Model Draft Repealing Bill, 2014, and said ministries/departments concerned may further add other central Acts, which may be identified for repeal.
The rule book certainly is going to be a lot more lighter.
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