Draft Registration Bill 2025

Context

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has invited tips on the new draft Registration Bill 2025.

Key Highlights

• • It is brought to set up a current framework for registration of land records, and a more citizen-centric approach.
  • It will update the 117-12 months-antique Registration Act of 1908. 
  • It will digitise the registration of property records, beautify transparency, and preserve digital data.

• Key Features: 

• • It introduces a latest, citizen-friendly framework for land document registration, allowing both online and offline strategies with Aadhaar or alternative identification verification. 
  • It expands the listing of obligatory documents for registration, along with revenue agreements and enterprise mergers, while additionally presenting for simplified optional registration, although info in this are vague. 
  • New roles consisting of Additional and Assistant Inspector Generals of Registration are created to help the Inspector General.
  • The Inspector General can cancel registrations made on false or illegal grounds, with appeals allowed in 30 days. 
  • The bill reduces imprisonment consequences from 7 to 3 years, along with fines.

Issues and Challenges

• Concerns about the Bill consist of the need for stronger cybersecurity to protect digital data and e-signature data. 
• Additionally, delegating registration responsibilities to Common Services Centres (CSCs), which manage legally sensitive approaches like stamp duty valuation and identify transfer, can also result in procedural gaps.

Other Related Steps

• The Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), remodeled in 2016 as 100% Central Sector Scheme.
  • It  aims to create a contemporary, obvious, and integrated land record system.
  • Its objectives include enhancing real-time land records, optimizing land use, aiding landowners and policymakers, lowering disputes and fraud, minimizing the need for physical office visits, and enabling records sharing throughout organizations.
• SVAMITVA Scheme: It was Launched on April 24, 2020 and Scheme aims to convert rural India by providing property owners in village Abadi regions with an official “Record of Rights.” 
  • Using drone and GIS technology for land demarcation, it enables property monetization, access to bank loans, reduces disputes, and helps village-level planning—advancing rural empowerment and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The NAKSHA programme: It is a tech-pushed initiative by the Department of Land Resources with Survey of India and other partners, aims to modernize urban land records. 
  • It addresses the growing need for verifiable and only land data amid India’s unexpectedly increasing urban population.

Source: The Indian Express

Mains PYQ

Q. Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India. (2016)

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