Legislation

Nine constitutional amendments between 2014-2024 (98th–106th). Key ones: 101st (GST — dual goods and services tax structure, 2016), 102nd (OBC National Commission constitutional status, 2018), 103rd (10% EWS reservation in education and employment, 2019), 104th (SC/ST reservation in Lok Sabha/state assemblies extended to 2030, 2020), 106th (33% women's reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, 2023 — operative after next delimitation). Source ↗

GST (Goods and Services Tax, effective 1 July 2017) replaced 17 indirect taxes, creating India's largest tax reform since independence. Active registrations grew from 0 at launch to 148 lakh (14.8 million) by March 2024. GST has formalised the supply chain — businesses below ₹40 lakh turnover threshold are exempt. E-way bills (~100 crore/year), e-invoicing, and GSTN analytics have improved compliance and reduced tax evasion. Source ↗

The Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC, 2016) replaced multiple overlapping insolvency laws and established a 330-day time-bound resolution process. As of March 2024: 1,067 cases resolved under CIRP with realisation of ₹3.16 lakh crore for creditors (recovery rate ~32% of admitted claims). An additional 27,000+ cases settled before formal CIRP, reflecting the law's deterrent effect. Delays remain: average resolution time has exceeded 600 days vs the 270-day statutory limit; NCLT capacity and legal challenges are bottlenecks. Source ↗

The 4 Labour Codes (Wages 2019; Industrial Relations, Social Security, Occupational Safety 2020) consolidate 29 existing central labour laws. Aimed at simplifying compliance and extending social security to informal workers. As of mid-2025, states have not fully notified the rules, delaying implementation. The codes are contested by trade unions for reducing job security protections (fixed-term employment, raised thresholds for retrenchment permission). Coverage of gig and platform workers under Social Security Code is a new positive. Source ↗

15th Lok Sabha (2009-14): 251 bills. 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19): 331 bills. 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24): 222 bills. Productivity (% of scheduled time used productively) has been a concern — PRS Legislative Research notes 17th LS productivity was 97% in the budget session but fell significantly in other sessions due to adjournments. Several landmark laws passed without full committee scrutiny: CAA (2019), Farm Laws (2020, repealed 2021), Labour Codes. Passage of 4 Labour Codes (2019-20) consolidating 29 labour laws is a reform milestone. Source ↗

PRS Legislative Research tracks productive session time (bills, questions, debates vs adjournments). The 17th Lok Sabha had 74% productivity averaged across sessions (2019-24). Budget sessions perform better (~97%) while monsoon and winter sessions see more disruptions. Number of Parliamentary Questions answered: over 1.2 lakh in the 17th LS. Bills referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees fell from ~60% (14th LS) to ~15% (17th LS), reducing detailed scrutiny. Source ↗

At dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha (June 2024), all pending bills lapsed as per constitutional convention. The 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19) had 330+ bills pass with 181 pending at dissolution. The 17th LS introduced the practice of referring fewer bills to committees before passage — reducing delays but also scrutiny. Major pending legislation as of 2024: Personal Data Protection Bill (withdrawn 2022, successor DPDP Act passed 2023), EWS quota challenges in Supreme Court (resolved 2022). Source ↗

Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act (RERA, 2016) — effective 2017 — mandates registration of all residential projects above 500 sqm or 8 units. 1.3 lakh+ projects and 75,000+ agents registered as of March 2024. State MahaRERA (Maharashtra) is most active. RERA has increased homebuyer protection, project transparency, and developer accountability. Implementation quality varies by state; several states have diluted rules or set up weak appellate tribunals. Source ↗