On December 15, 2025, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025 (Bill No. 193 of 2025) in the Lok Sabha. This periodic legislative measure represents the government’s ongoing effort to clean up India’s statute books by removing obsolete laws and correcting technical errors in existing legislation.
What is the Repealing and Amending Bill?
The Repealing and Amending Bill is a routine parliamentary exercise conducted to maintain the legal framework’s clarity and relevance. These bills serve two primary purposes: repealing enactments that have ceased to be in force or have become obsolete, and amending existing laws to correct formal defects or update outdated provisions.
Laws Being Repealed
The First Schedule of the bill proposes to repeal around 71 Acts spanning nearly 140 years of Indian legislative history. Among the oldest is the Indian Tramways Act of 1886, along with the Levy Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act of 1976. Several company-specific nationalisation acts from the late 1970s and 1980s are also being removed, including those related to Britannia Engineering Company, Arthur Butler and Company, and Hooghly Docking and Engineering Company. The Chaparmukh-Silghat and Katakhal-Lalabazar Railway Line Nationalisation Act of 1982 is another notable repeal.
A significant portion of the repealed legislation consists of amendment acts from recent years between 2015 and 2023. These include amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Banking Regulation Act, Motor Vehicles Act, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, multiple Constitution Orders related to Scheduled Tribes, Central Universities Act, and various professional council acts covering medical, homoeopathy, and Indian medicine systems.
Laws Being Amended
The Second Schedule proposes amendments to four existing Acts. The General Clauses Act of 1897 is being updated to modernize postal service terminology, replacing “registered post” with “speed post with registration.” This change reflects the Department of Post’s rationalization of services, where registered post has been merged with speed post services.
The Code of Civil Procedure of 1908 is receiving multiple updates to reflect these postal service changes. The amendments replace “registered post acknowledgement due” with “speed post with registration and proof of delivery” across several sections, affecting provisions related to service of summons, execution of decrees, and temporary injunctions.
The most significant amendments are being made to the Indian Succession Act of 1925. The bill proposes removing Section 213, which currently mandates that Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis must obtain probate or letters of administration for wills made within the jurisdiction of the High Courts at Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, or for immovable property situated within those limits. This section is considered discriminatory as it treats these communities differently from others. The amendments seek to establish uniformity across all communities regarding succession matters, removing what the notes describe as a colonial-era provision. Additionally, Section 370(2)(b), described as a relic of colonial rule dealing with bonds and debentures charged on India’s revenues by UK Parliament Acts, is also being omitted.
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 receives a minor but important correction, replacing the word “prevention” with “preparation” in Section 30(2)(vi). This rectifies an inadvertent error in the original Act, ensuring that district authorities lay down guidelines for preparation of disaster management plans rather than prevention of disaster management plans.
The Savings Clause: Protecting Existing Rights
Section 4 of the bill contains a comprehensive savings clause, which is standard in legislation of this nature. This provision ensures that the repeal of any Act will not affect other laws where the repealed Act has been referenced or incorporated. All existing rights, obligations, liabilities, and legal proceedings remain valid, while past acts, remedies, and legal procedures continue to be recognized. Established legal principles and rules remain unaffected, and no expired rights or practices are revived by the repeal. This clause is crucial as it prevents legal chaos that could result from suddenly removing laws from the statute books without protecting transactions and rights that arose under those laws.
Significance and Impact
The bill represents an important exercise in legislative housekeeping. By removing 68 obsolete Acts, Parliament is ensuring that India’s legal framework remains accessible and relevant. Many of the Acts being repealed served specific, time-bound purposes, such as nationalizing particular companies or railway lines, and have outlived their utility.
The amendments to the General Clauses Act and the Code of Civil Procedure reflect practical changes in how government services operate. With India Post’s merger of registered post services into speed post, updating legal references ensures that court procedures and official notifications can continue smoothly.
The amendment to the Indian Succession Act is particularly significant from a social justice perspective. By removing Section 213, the government is eliminating a provision that treated different religious communities unequally in matters of succession. This move toward uniformity aligns with constitutional principles of equality before law.
The minor correction in the Disaster Management Act demonstrates the bill’s secondary purpose of fixing technical errors in legislation. While seemingly small, such corrections ensure that laws accurately reflect legislative intent.
The Process Ahead
As Bill No. 193 of 2025, this legislation will now proceed through the standard parliamentary process, including discussion and debate in the Lok Sabha, possible referral to a parliamentary committee if deemed necessary, approval by both Houses of Parliament, Presidential assent, and finally notification and implementation. The bill’s statement of objects and reasons notes that detailed explanations for the amendments in the Second Schedule are provided in the accompanying notes, helping parliamentarians understand the rationale behind each proposed change.
Conclusion
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, while technical in nature, serves an important constitutional function. It keeps India’s statute books current, removes redundant legislation, corrects drafting errors, and updates procedures to match current administrative practices. The removal of discriminatory provisions in succession law and the rationalization of postal service references across multiple acts demonstrate how such periodic housekeeping can have both practical and symbolic importance.
For legal practitioners, the changes in postal service terminology will require adjustment in court procedures. For citizens, particularly from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Parsi communities, the amendments to succession law represent a step toward greater equality in the legal system.
As India continues to modernize its legal framework, regular repealing and amending bills like this one play a crucial role in ensuring that the country’s laws remain fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world.
Ishwarya Dhube is a third-year BBA LLB student who combines academic rigor with practical experience gained through multiple legal internships. Her work spans various areas of law, allowing her to develop a comprehensive understanding of legal practice. Ishwarya specializes in legal writing and analysis, bringing both business acumen and hands-on legal experience to her work.
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