UPSC Articles
Year End Review: Legislative Department
Part of: Prelims
The Legislative Department plays an important role in assisting the Ministries/Departments of the Government to achieve the policy objectives through legislation. Legislative Department provides assistance to State Governments in translation of Central Laws into the languages mention in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.
Election Laws and Electoral Reforms: To amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been passed by Parliament. The said Bill envisages the following:
- Linking of Electoral Roll with Aadhaar System will curb the menace of multiple enrolment of the same person in different places; Multiple qualifying dates for enrolment in the electoral roll will expand the voter base and consequently greater participation of eligible voters in the electoral process;
- Making the statutes gender neutral in line with the avowed policy of gender equality and inclusiveness vis-à-vis conduct of our elections; and
- Streamlining the process of conduct of elections with reference to requisition of staff or premises, etc.
India Code Information System (ICIS)
- Each year number of legislations (both principal Acts and Amending Acts) are passed by the legislature and it is difficult for judiciary, lawyers as well as citizens to refer relevant and up to date Acts when required.
- Keeping all these aspects in view, India Code Information System (ICIS), a one stop digital repository of all the Central and State Legislation including their respective subordinate legislations has been developed with the help of NIC under the guidance of Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department).
- It is an important step in ensuing legal empowerment of all citizens as well as the object of ONE NATION — ONE PLATFORM.
- Till date, Central Acts from the years 1838 to 2021 total 823 Central Acts have been updated and uploaded (in ICIS) for general public.
Official Language Wing has published the Constitution of India. In this edition, the text of the Constitution of India has been brought up-to-date by incorporating therein all the amendments up the Constitutional (One Hundred and Fifth Amendment) Act, 2021.
News Source: PIB
