List of 125 Obsolete Central Acts that have been repealed by the Parliament in May 2015

A total of 125 Central laws, which had become obsolete, have been repealed by the Narendra Modi Government, with the President of India giving his assent to two Repealing and Amending Bills passed by the Parliament in this regard.

On 13 May 2015, the President gave his assent to the Repealing and Amending Act, 2015, which repealed a total of 35 obsolete laws of the Centre. Thereafter, on 14 May 2015, the President gave his assent to the Repealing and Amending (Second ) Act, 2015, which has repealed a total of 90 obsolete Acts (out of which, in 2 obsolete Acts, only certain sections have been repealed instead of repealing the whole Acts). Both these Repealing And Amending Acts have been notified in the official gazette on 13 May and 14 May respectively.

Thus, a total of 123 Central Acts, that had become obsolete have been repealed completely while certain sections of 2 obsolete Acts have been repealed, thereby making a total of 125 obsolete laws that have been repealed. However, it is noteworthy that most of these repealed Acts are Amendment Acts.

It is pertinent to mention that it has specifically been provided in these Repealing and Amending Acts that:

• The repeal of any such enactment shall not affect any Act in which such enactment has been applied, incorporated or referred to.
• The Repeal and Amending Act shall not affect the validity, invalidity, effect or consequences of anything already done or suffered, or any right, title, obligation or liability already acquired, accrued or incurred, or any remedy or proceeding in respect thereof, or any release or discharge of or from any debt, penalty, obligation, liability, claim or demand, or any indemnity already granted, or the proof of any past act or thing.
• The Repeal and Amending Act shall not affect any principle or rule of law, or established jurisdiction, form or course of pleading, practice or procedure, or existing usage, custom, privilege, restriction, exemption, office or appointment, notwithstanding that the same respectively may have been in any manner affirmed, recognised or derived by, in or from any enactment hereby repealed.
• The repeal by the Repeal and Amending Act of any such enactment shall not provide or restore any jurisdiction, office, custom, liability, right, title, privilege, restriction, exemption, usage, practice, procedure or other matter or thing not now existing or in force.

It is learnt that two more similar bills are presently pending before the Parliamentary for its approval which will repeal another 945 obsolete laws.

The list of these 125 obsolete Acts, that have been repealed, is reproduced as under [for the Acts at serial numbers 98 and 111, the whole Acts are not repealed but only a few sections thereof have been repealed as mentioned below]:

1. The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897.
2. The Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947.
3. The Sugar Undertakings (Taking Over of Management) Act, 1978.
4. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 1999.
5. The Indian Majority (Amendment) Act, 1999.
6. The Administrators-General (Amendment) Act, 1999.
7. The Notaries (Amendment) Act, 1999.
8. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 1999.
9. The Repealing and Amending Act, 2001.
10. The Mariage Laws (Amendment) Act, 2001.
11. The Indian Divorce (Amendment) Act, 2001.
12. The Indian Succession (Amendment) Act, 2002.
13. The Legal Services Authorities (Amendment ) Act, 2002.
14. The Representation of the People (Third Amendment) Act, 2002.
15. The Transfer of Property (Amendment) Act, 2002.
16. The Indian Evidence (Amendment) Act, 2002.
17. The Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Act, 2002
18. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2002.
19. The Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2003.
20. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2003.
21. The Election and Other Related Laws (Amendment), Act, 2003.
22. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 2003.
23. The Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Act, 2003
24. The Delimitation (Amendment) Act, 2003.
25. The Delegated Legislation Provisions (Amendment) Act, 2004.
26. The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005.
27. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Act, 2006.
28. The Delimitation (Amendment) Act, 2008.
29. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2008.
30. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2009.
31. The Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010.
32. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010.
33. The Anand Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2012.
34. The Administrators-General (Amendment) Act, 2012.
35. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Act, 2013.
36. The Export-Import Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 1998.
37. The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 1998.
38. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 1999.
39. The Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2000.
40. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2000.
41. The Food Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2000.
42. The National Housing Bank (Amendment) Act, 2000.
43. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2000.
44. The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Amendment Act, 2000.
45. The Major Port Trusts (Amendment) Act, 2000.
46. The Insecticides (Amendment) Act, 2000.
47. The Border Security Force (Amendment) Act, 2000.
48. The State Financial Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2000.
49. The Multimodal Transportation of Goods (Amendment) Act, 2000.
50. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Act, 2000.
51. The Chit Funds (Amendment) Act, 2001.
52. The Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2001.
53. The Food Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2001.
54. The Government of Union Territories and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2001
55. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (Amendment) Act, 2001.
56. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2001.
57. The Explosive Substance (Amendment) Act, 2001.
58. The Inter-State Water Disputes (Amendment) Act, 2002.
59. The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament and Leaders of Opposition in Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2002.
60. The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Act, 2002.
61. The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Second Amendment) Act, 2002.
62. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2002.
63. The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Act, 2002.
64. The Insurance (Amendment) Act, 2002.
65. The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2002.
66. The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2002.
67. The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002.
68. The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament and Leaders of Opposition in Parliament (Second Amendment) Act, 2002.
69. The Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002.
70. The High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2002.
71. The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2002.
72. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002.
73. The Companies (Second Amendment) Act, 2002.
74. The Delhi High Court (Amendment) Act, 2003.
75. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2003.
76. The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2003.
77. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Act, 2003.
78. The Railways (Second Amendment) Act, 2003.
79. The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2003.
80. The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Act, 2003.
81. The Prevention of Terrorism (Amendment) Act, 2003.
82. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003.
83. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2003.
84. The Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 2004.
85. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2004.
86. The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws (Amendment) Act, 2004.
87. The Government of Union Territories and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2005.
88. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005.
89. The Sree ChitraTirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum (Amendment) Act, 2005.
90. The Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2005.
91. The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2005.
92. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2005.
93. The Government of Union Territories and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2006.
94. The Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Act, 2006.
95. The Reserve Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2006.
96. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2006.
97. The Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings and Financial Institutions Laws (Amendment) Act, 2006.
98. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2006 (only Sections 2 to 5 are repealed).
99. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2007.
100. The National Tax Tribunal (Amendment) Act, 2007.
101. The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Act, 2007.
102. The State Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2007.
103. The Inland Vessels (Amendment) Act, 2007.
104. The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Act, 2007.
105. The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Act, 2008.
106. The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2008.
107. The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2008.
108. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008.
109. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Amendment) Act, 2009.
110. The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2009.
111. The State Bank of Saurashtra (Repeal) and the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Amendment Act, 2009 (only sections 3 to 11 are repealed).
112. The State Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2010.
113. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2010.
114. The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2010.
115. The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2010.
116. The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Amendment Act, 2011.
117. The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Act, 2011.
118. The New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Act, 2011.
119. The Life Insurance Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2011.
120. The Export-Import Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2011.
121. The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012.
122. The Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Act, 2012.
123. The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012.
124. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012.
125. The Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013.

In spite of these large number of obsolete laws having been repealed, there is still a long list of old laws that are obsolete and/or of no relevance today in the changed circumstances.