The most Important & Major Laws enacted recently in India that you need to know

ENACTMENT OF NEW LAWS IN 2016

1. The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Election Commission can carry out delimitation in areas that were affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015 as per the provisions of the bill.
• Under the 2015 Act, enclaves were exchanged between India and Bangladesh.
• Enclaves refer to areas that are the territories belonging to one country that are entirely surrounded by another country.
• On July 31, 2015, India transferred 111 enclaves to Bangladesh, and received 51 enclaves from Bangladesh.

2. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016

• Some properties belonging to nationals of Pakistan and China are designated as ‘enemy properties’ during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 conflicts by the central government.
• The properties are vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property (for India), an office instituted under the central government.
• The 1968 Act regulates these enemy properties, and lists the powers of the Custodian.

3. The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Act regulates administration of Sikh Gurdwaras in Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
• For this purpose, it established the Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) for overall administration and management, and set up committees for management of every Gurdwara.
• It also lays down the powers of the SGPC and other committees, and regulates elections to them.

4. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Bill amends the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
• The bill is in relation to declaration of assets and liabilities by public servants.
• The provisions of the Bill would apply retrospectively, from the date of the coming into force of the 2013 Act.

5. The Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016 

• As per the new rules, taxpayers can declare their undisclosed income which they possess in the form of cash or deposited in banks, post offices or Reserve Bank of India before a notified date.
• The Bill proposes to introduce the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016.
• It also seeks to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Finance Act, 2016.

6. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Act provides maternity leave up to 12 weeks for all women. The Bill extends this period to 26 weeks.
• However, a woman with two or more children will be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave.

7. The Central Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Act provides for the establishment of a University in the north eastern region for the development of agriculture, and advancement of research in agriculture and allied sciences.
• It states that the University is responsible for teaching and research in the field of agriculture for the north eastern states.

8. The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• It establishes the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Andhra Pradesh as an institute of national importance.
• Establishment will be as per the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) Act, 2007.

9. The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• The Bill seeks to add six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in
• Tirupati,
• Palakkad,
• Dharwar,
• Goa,
• Bhilai, and
• The Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad will also be within the ambit of the Act.
• All these institutions are declared as institutions of national importance.

10. Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill, 2016

• This Bill made some amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
• The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 aims at regulation of the mining sector in India.
• It further specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting leases for carrying out mining operations.

11. The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016

The Bill provides for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India. This will be carried out by assigning individuals unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar numbers.