**Executive Summary**
This document summarizes the response of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice to Unstarred Question No. 2085 in the Lok Sabha, scheduled for December 12, 2025. The question concerns the repeal of obsolete laws and legal reforms. The response outlines the Government's ongoing efforts to identify and repeal redundant Central Acts, simplify legislative drafting, and conduct training programs for this purpose.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Repeal of Obsolete Acts:**
* The Government has identified seventy-one obsolete and redundant Central Acts for repeal.
* **Law Commission Recommendations:**
* The 23rd Law Commission has not submitted any interim recommendations regarding revising, simplifying, or repealing outdated Central laws.
* **Reducing Compliance Burden:**
* Initiatives have been taken to reduce the compliance burden on citizens and businesses through amendment, consolidation, or repeal of laws.
* **Legislative Drafting:**
* The Legislative Department drafts laws based on policy decisions and adheres to the Manual of Parliamentary Procedure.
* Steps are being taken to ensure that legislative drafting is simple, plain, precise, and unambiguous.
* **Training Programs:**
* The Legislative Department conducts continuous training and capacity-building initiatives through the Institute of Legislative Drafting and Research.
* Courses include a ninety-day Basic Course of Legislative Drafting, a thirty-day Basic Course of Legislative Drafting (in Hindi), and a fifteen-day Appreciation Course of Legislative Drafting.
* Structured Courses in Legislative Drafting are curated for Ministries/Departments on request.
* Four module courses on Drafting in Plain Language have been contributed on the iGOT portal.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Citizens and Businesses**
* *Impact:* Reduced compliance burden, leading to ease of doing business and reduced administrative burden. A more accessible legal system that is easier to understand.
* *Action Required:* None explicitly stated, but they will benefit from the repeal of obsolete laws and simplified legislation.
**Stakeholder: Legislative Department**
* *Impact:* Required to draft laws that are simple, plain, precise, and unambiguous.
* *Action Required:* Continue implementing training and capacity-building initiatives for staff.
**Stakeholder: Institute of Legislative Drafting and Research**
* *Impact:* Responsible for conducting training courses.
* *Action Required:* Continue providing various training courses on legislative drafting.
**Stakeholder: Public Servants**
* *Impact:* Have access to courses on drafting in plain language to enhance skills.
* *Action Required:* Utilise the iGOT portal and available courses to improve drafting skills.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Law and Justice: The central government ministry responsible for identifying obsolete laws for repeal and overseeing legal reforms.
23rd Law Commission: An entity that submits recommendations regarding revision, simplification or repeal of outdated Central legislation.
Legislative Department: The department responsible for drafting laws and undertaking training initiatives to simplify Central legislation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2085
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 12TH DECEMBER, 2025
REPEAL OF OBSOLETE LAWS AND LEGAL REFORMS
2085. Shri Balabhadra Majhi:
Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky:
Shri Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathva:
Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat:
Shri Dulu Mahato:
Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab:
Shri Ganesh Singh:
Shri Damodar Agrawal:
Dr. Manna Lal Rawat:
Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh:
Shri Arun Govil:
Ms Kangna Ranaut:
Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre:
Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has undertaken any fresh exercise to identify obsolete and redundant
Central Acts for repeal since 2024 and the number of such laws proposed to be repealed;
(b) whether any interim recommendations have been submitted by the 23rd Law Commission
regarding revision, simplification or repeal of outdated Central legislation;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has set any targets for further reducing the compliance burden on
citizens and businesses through amendment, consolidation or repeal of laws;
(e) if so, the action plan and timelines;
(f) whether steps have been taken to simplify the drafting style of Central legislations to make
them more accessible and easily understandable to the general public; and
(g) if so, the details of training or capacity-building programmes conducted for this purpose?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW
AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)
(a): The Government has identified seventy-one obsolete and redundant Acts for repeal.(b) and (c): No interim recommendations on revising, simplifying or repealing outdated Central
laws has been received from the 23rd Law Commission.
(d) and (e): As a part of the Government’s commitment to bring reforms to the legal system,
initiatives have been taken for reducing the compliance burden, ensuring good governance and
making the legal system more accessible to the common man through amendment, consolidation
or repeal of obsolete and redundant laws. In the latest exercise relating to identification and repeal
of redundant and obsolete laws, the Government has identified to repeal seventy-one obsolete and
redundant laws by an appropriate legislation.
(f): The Legislative Department undertakes drafting of laws on the basis of the policy
decisions taken by the concerned administrative Ministries/Department of the Government of
India and as per the procedure prescribed by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in the Manual
of Parliamentary Procedure in the Government of India. The Legislative Department has been
taking necessary steps to ensure that legislative drafting is simple, plain, precise and
unambiguous.
(g): The Legislative Department undertakes continuous training and capacity building initiatives
to simplify the drafting style of Central legislation for greater public accessibility through its
training courses conducted by the Institute of Legislative Drafting and Research, Legislative
Department, which includes ninety days Basic Course of Legislative Drafting, thirty days Basic
Course of Legislative Drafting (in Hindi), fifteen days Appreciation Course of Legislative
Drafting and Structured Courses in Legislative Drafting curated for various
Ministries/Departments on request. Additionally, four module courses on Drafting in Plain
Language has also been contributed on iGOT portal for consumption by all Public Servants
engaged in drafting of legislation.
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