Over the past two decades, India has witnessed the passage of numerous transformative laws under the tenures of Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh (2004–2014) and Narendra Modi (2014–present). These legislative milestones, shaped by distinct political visions, have sparked widespread debate, reflecting the evolving priorities of governance—be it welfare, economic reform, or identity politics. From empowering citizens with rights to reshaping constitutional frameworks, the 14 most talked-about laws of this period highlight both progressive strides and contentious shifts, offering a lens into India’s socio-political journey.
Here are the 7 laws pased in Manmohan era:
1. The Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005 is a law that empowered citizens to access information from public authorities, promoting transparency and accountability in governance. It gave people a tool to hold the government accountable for delivering services and benefits, reducing corruption in welfare schemes. It mandated timely responses (within 30 days) to information requests, with provisions for penalties on officials who failed to comply.
2. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 is a law that guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households willing to do unskilled manual work. It aimed to combat rural poverty and unemployment while fostering infrastructure development (e.g., roads, water conservation projects). By 2014, it had provided employment to millions, with a focus on inclusivity. Over 50% of workers were women and marginalized groups.
3. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009: This law made education a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14 under Article 21A of the Constitution. It mandated free education in government schools and reserved 25% of seats in private schools for economically disadvantaged children. This measure was aimed to reduce dropout rates and improve literacy, particularly among underprivileged communities.
4. The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: This Act aimed to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s population (around 800 million people). It entitled eligible households to 5 kg of rice, wheat, or coarse grains per person per month at low prices (e.g., ₹3/kg for rice). It also included provisions for free meals for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children up to 14 years through programs like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, addressing hunger and malnutrition as core welfare goals.
5. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, provided legal recourse for women facing domestic violence, including physical, emotional, or economic abuse. It offered welfare support through protection orders, residence rights, and monetary relief, aiming to safeguard women’s well-being and security within households.
6. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013: This Act replaced the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894. It mandated fair compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement for those displaced by land acquisition for development projects. It sought to protect livelihoods of rural and tribal populations, requiring consent from 80% of affected families for private projects.
7. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, often called the Forest Rights Act (FRA), granted land and resource rights to forest-dwelling communities. It aimed to correct historical injustices by providing welfare through secure tenure, access to forest produce, and community rights, benefiting millions of tribal and forest-dependent people.
Thereafter Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. So far his premiership spans a period more or less around the same period as Manmohan Singh. Below is a list of 7 most talked about laws passed during his period:
1. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019: It amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014, fleeing religious persecution. Critics argue it violates India’s secular ethos by excluding Muslims, pairing it with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) to potentially disenfranchise Muslim citizens lacking documentation. Protests erupted nationwide, with over 100 deaths reported during clashes in 2019–2020, notably in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
2. The Farm Laws (2020, Repealed 2021): Three agricultural laws passed in September 2020—The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act—aimed to liberalize farming by allowing sales outside regulated mandis, enabling contract farming, and easing stock limits. Farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, protested for over a year, fearing corporate exploitation and the erosion of Minimum Support Prices (MSP). The laws were repealed on November 29, 2021, after massive demonstrations blockaded Delhi, with Modi citing failure to convince farmers.
3. Abrogation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019: On 5 August 2019 the government revoked Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special autonomy, and passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, bifurcating the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without). This ended decades of constitutional privileges, like separate laws and land rights. Critics decried the move as unilateral, imposed during a communication blackout and mass detentions, undermining federalism and Kashmiri identity.
4. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019: This law criminalizes instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat), making it punishable with up to three years in jail. Championed as a women’s rights reform following a 2017 Supreme Court ruling, it faced backlash from democratic groups and opposition parties who called it an intrusion into personal laws and a step toward a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), potentially targeting Muslims.
5. Three New Criminal Laws (2023): the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replace the colonial Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act. Aimed at modernizing justice—e.g., adding community service as punishment and tackling cybercrime—they’ve been criticized for expanding police powers (e.g., up to 90-day custody without charges) and vague sedition-like provisions (e.g., BNS Section 152 on “acts endangering sovereignty”).
6. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019: This law seeks to protect transgender rights by prohibiting discrimination and mandating welfare measures. However, it’s controversial for requiring a certificate for gender recognition, lacking reservations in jobs or education, and imposing lighter penalties for crimes against transgender individuals compared to others. Activists argue it undermines self-identification rights upheld by a 2014 Supreme Court ruling, while the government frames it as a progressive step.
7. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Already passedby both houses of parliamentbut still awaitingassent of the president, this bill proposes to regulate Waqf properties by mandating registration, allowing non-Muslim board members, and empowering district collectors to resolve disputes. Critics, including opposition MPs, call it an attack on Muslim religious autonomy and constitutional rights, accusing it of communal intent.
In sum, the laws enacted during Singh’s tenure leaned heavily toward social welfare and inclusivity, laying foundational rights to information, education, employment, and food security, often remembered as a period of steady, if imperfect, progress. In contrast, Modi’s era has been marked by bold, polarizing reforms—restructuring agriculture, citizenship, and regional autonomy—heralded by supporters as “achche din” (good days) and “amrit kaal” (golden era), yet leaving many nostalgic for the “bad old days” of Singh’s regime. These legislative legacies, for better or worse, speak volumes about the aspirations and fault lines of contemporary India.
