Some of the important acts in India are the Charter Act of 1813, the Rowlatt Act, the Indian Independence Act before independence, the States reorganization act, the environment protection act, etc., after independence. Getting complete knowledge about the Important Acts in India is crucial for the aspirants aiming to appear for the UPSC and other competitive exams. According to the Indian Constitution, there are three types of acts in the Indian legislative system: Legislative Acts, Judicial Acts, and Notarial Acts.
Below you will find the list of important acts in India PDF before and after independence, along with a detailed explanation of some of the acts passed by the British and Indian Governments that transformed India over the years.
Table of content
India has a system of laws and acts that maintain the legal framework of the country. Several acts have been passed by the Indian government. It covers various aspects like economy, governance, disaster management, women, environment and ecology, commerce, children and other marginalized sections.
The first act, the Costing-Vessels Act, was passed by the British government in 1838. After independence, the acts are passed according to the Indian legislature.
The Important Acts in India have positively impacted the country’s economy and status. Here is the list of the important acts in India before and after independence:
Indecent Representation of Women Act (IRW), 1986
Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018
Charter Act, 1793
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act)
Sexual Harassment of Women Laws
Indian Forest Act of 1927
Code on Wages Bill, 2019
Surrogacy Regulation Bill
Roshni Act [Jammu & Kashmir]
Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021
Official Secrets Act, 1923
Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991
Major Port Authorities Act, 2021
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
Inland Vessels Bill, 2021
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020
Thuggee and Dacoity Suppression Acts
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
National Security Act, 1980
Road Safety and Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2019
Indian Companies Act
National Water Framework Bill, 2016
DNA Technology Bill
National Medical Commission Bill, 2019
Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Amendment Bill, 2015
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 [Triple Talaq Act]
During British Rule in India, the Legislatures were established in India in accordance with the Acts of Parliament of the UK. These Legislatures have the power to pass several acts, and some of these acts are still used in independent India. Among all the acts passed during the british rule in India, the important acts in India are as follows:
The British Parliament passed the Charter Act of 1813 to define the constitutional position of the British Indian territories. The Charter Act of 1813, also called the East India Company Act of 1813, abolished the East India Company’s trade monopoly with India. After the introduction of the act, all the countries of the world were able to maintain trade relations with India. However, the Charter Act of 1813 was repealed by the Government of India Act of 1915.
During British rule, the women were forced to do the Sati custom. This custom was abolished by Lord William Bentick. But, the status of widows was worse. They did not have the right to marry again, but the introduction of the Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856 changed the status of widows in Indian society. Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856 was passed by the British India legislature as a result of the constant efforts by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The act became an important step towards women’s empowerment, and that is why it is included in one of the most important acts in India.
Rowlatt Act of 1919 replaced the Defence of India Act of 1915. It allowed the practice of trying certain political cases without juries. Also, it permitted the internment of the suspect without a fair trial. However, all the non-official Indian council members voted against the act. Several peaceful protests by Gandhi against the Rowlatt Act. In Punjab, the protest led to the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre, which became one of the serious events in the Indian Freedom Struggle.
On 3 June 1947, a plan was proposed by the British government. The plan was based on these principles-
The Act was adopted on 15 August 1947, resulting in the formation of two independent countries: India and Pakistan.
After independence, the government of India passed several new acts to change the acts passed during British Rule. As of 2022, there are 1305 laws in India. Some of these acts are State laws, while others are Central laws. Here are the important acts passed in India after Independence–
With the introduction of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the territories and boundaries of the different states of India were formed on the basis of the regional language. After the introduction of the act, the Indian states were differentiated into the following four types of states-
The Environment Protection Act was implemented by the Indian government in 1986 to protect and improve the environmental condition. After the introduction of the act, the Central government of India got the power to establish Authorities for controlling environmental problems along with dealing with the environmental pollution in different parts of India. An amendment was made to the Environment Protection Act of 1986 in 1991.
Mr Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs, introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act in Rajya Sabha on August 5, 2019. After the act’s introduction, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two union territories: Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. The Governor of the State became the Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory.
One of the major problems with Muslim women’s rights was triple talaq. After the introduction of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, the government of India protected the rights of Muslim Women. It declared that the pronouncement of talaq three times for an instant divorce is void and is considered illegal. A guilty person shall be sentenced to imprisonment for upto 3 years, along with a fine.
Before the formation of the Indian Consitution, the laws and acts were passed by the British government. These acts have formed to maintain their rule, but after independence, the acts were passed by the Indian legislatures. Firstly, a bill is drafted in the legislature, and then it has to pass through several stages to become a Parliament Act. Since 1838, a total of 993 acts have been passed in India.
| Important Notes for UPSC | |
| Bishnoi Movement | Impact of British Rule in India |
| Competition Act 2002 | List of High Courts in India |
| Ganga Action Plan | SR Bommai vs Union of India |
| Yashpal Committee | Big Bang Theory |
| Gandhi Irwin Pact | Ghadar Party |
Important Acts in India include Regulating Act of 1773, the Indian Independence Act of 1947, the Personal Data Protection Bill of 2019, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) of 2016, the Indecent Representation of Women Act (IRW) of 1986, Pitt’s India Act of 1784, etc.
According to the Indian Constitution, there are three different types of acts in India. These are as follows:
Acts, along with the government actions and schemes, are an important part of the Indian Consitution, and a lot of questions have been asked in the UPSC Prelims and Mains under the Indian Polity and History.
A bill draft is proposed in either of the Parliament House, i.e., Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha, by a private member (called a Private member’s Bill) or a minister (called a Government Bill). The bill has to pass through several stages before it becomes a Parliamentary Act.
The Charter Act of 1833 is the oldest act in India. The Charter Act was enacted by the British Parliament. After the introduction of the act, all the countries of the world were able to maintain trade relations with India. However, the Charter Act of 1813 was repealed by the Government of India Act of 1915.
The important acts in India before independence were passed by the British government. It includes Regulating Act of 1773, the Pitt’s India Act of 1784, the Charter Act of 1813, the Bengal Sati Regulation Act of 1829, the Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856, the Government of India Act of 1858, Indian Councils Act of 1892, etc.
The important acts passed in India after independence include the Special Marriage Act of 1954, the Citizenship Act of 1955, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, the Code on Wages of 2019, the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, etc.
The latest acts in India are the Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Teachers Cadre) Act, the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Teachers Cadre) Act, and the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Act.
