Government Drafts Registration Bill 2025 for Immovable Property and Other Transactions
The Indian central government has unveiled a draft bill, provisionally named "The Registration Bill 2025," to overhaul the country's immovable property registration system. This proposed legislation aims to establish a cutting-edge, paperless, online, and citizen-oriented system for property registration and transactions, superseding the Registration Act of 1908.
To gather public opinions and suggestions, the draft bill has been published on the Department of Land Resources' official website (https://dolr.gov.in) for a 30-day public comment period, ending on June 25.
In a statement, the Ministry of Rural Development highlighted that the 1908 Registration Act has been a fundamental pillar of India's document registration system for over a century. Given the escalating use of technologies, evolving societal practices, and the growing importance of registered documents in both public and private transactions, it was crucial to modernize and adapt the registration process to accommodate society's changing needs.
While several states and union territories already offer online document submission and digital identity verification under the existing 1908 Act, the need for a forward-thinking registration framework has become increasingly apparent. The upcoming bill aims to address this need by providing a harmonized and supportive legal framework for secure, efficient, and citizen-centric registration practices nationwide.
The draft bill includes several key features and changes, such as:
- Implementing a fully digital platform for immovable property registration.
- Expanding the list of required registrable documents.
- Permitting Aadhaar-based authentication for verification purposes, alongside alternative mechanisms for individuals without Aadhaar or those preferring not to use it.
- Enabling electronic integration with other record-keeping systems.
- Providing legal and procedural rigor, including clear guidelines for registration refusals and cancellation rules.
- Streamlining the organizational structure by introducing additional and assistant inspectors general of registration.
- Adopting a consultative approach to the draft bill's formulation through public feedback.
These modifications are intended to bring India's property registration processes in line with modern digital practices, enhancing overall efficiency, security, and ease of citizen-centric services. The public is encouraged to provide their suggestions and feedback on the draft bill within the specified period to contribute to the development of a more advanced and accessible property registration system.
In the context of India's modernization efforts, the Registration Bill 2025 aims to modernize the country's property registration system, incorporating technology by implementing a digital platform, expanding registrable documents, and utilizing Aadhaar-based authentication. Simultaneously, the bill strives to reinforce the security, efficiency, and accessibility of business transactions in the finance and technology sectors by adopting a citizen-centric approach.
