New Delhi: Parliament on Wednesday passed a Bill seeking to repeal or amend 71 obsolete and outdated laws with a view to enhancing ease of living for citizens.
Piloting the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, in the Rajya Sabha, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said it aimed at removing outdated laws, correcting errors that had crept in during the law-making process and removing discriminatory aspects of certain laws.
The Bill was passed by voice vote in the Rajya Sabha. It was earlier approved by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to the discussion on the legislation, Meghwal said that one of the main aims of the Bill was to enhance the ease of living for citizens.
“We give priority to ease of living along with ease of doing business,” the minister said, adding that if laws have become obsolete, the government would bring legislation to repeal them.
The minister said that under the Indian Succession Act, 1925, if a Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain or Parsi made a will in the then Madras, Bombay and Calcutta presidencies, it had to be probated, while a similar provision does not apply to Muslims.
“Why not Muslims? Will there be no consideration over it? This is the Narendra Modi government and the country will function according to the Constitution,” he said, adding that any discrimination on the basis of religion, caste and sex is prevented by the Constitution.
“These reforms are a step towards liberation from a colonial mindset,” he added.
Vivek K Tankha (Congress) disagreed with the minister that the Bill was aimed at freeing from the colonial mindset, alleging that the government had only done paperwork to complete technical
formalities without assessing the impact of the Bill on people on the ground.