Modi's Biggest Challenge: Stupid laws of India, what's that? Explained

Bangalore, Sept 2: Ahead of completing 100 days at the centre, Prime Minister

approved constitution of a Committee which would review existing

in the country. The biggest challenge of the committee would be to identify obsolete laws among lakhs of existing laws in

. [Read:

]

The country has many unwanted, backdated laws which do not help people of the country. Jurist KTS Tulsi once was quoted as saying, "Laws don't suddenly become bizarre or useless. It is due to a very serious change of circumstances in a country's culture, economic needs, or political dispensation that some laws need to be amended."

"We are trying to run a judicial system in a supersonic age with bullock-cart technology," the jurist added. Manmohan Singh government and his predecessors too had taken the challenge to repeal such bizarre laws, but they failed.

Here are a few obsolete/stupid/unwanted laws of India:

• East Punjab Agriculture Pests, Diseases and Noxious Weeds Act, 1949: Delhiites can be fined Rs 50 if they fail or ignore a call by government to beat drums on streets if locusts invade the city.
• Indian Aircraft Act, 1934: Do you have the license of flying kites? No, then don't dare to that, else you will be arrested. In India, one person needs to have license/government permit to make, possess, sell or fly a kite. The same rule applies for plane or aircraft.
• Licensing and Controlling Places of Amusement (Other than Cinemas), 1960: Couples can be arrested if more than 10 couples dance together on a single platform.
• The Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878: If you don't file a report to police regarding any treasure (it can be Rs 10 as well), you can be sent to jail.
• The Bengal Bonded Warehouse Association Act, 1838: The Act bars a special group from selling its property to anyone other than East India Company.
• Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934: The preamble to the act governing the Reserve Bank of India confers on India's central bank a "temporary" status, that continues even now.
• The Official Secrets Act of 1923: Any civilian or bureaucrat can be sent behind bars for up to 14 years if he/she shares information related to government offices.
• Indian Majority Act, 1875: A man can not get married before he turns 21. But he can become a father at the age of 18. Shocked? Yes, this law permits a man to adopt a child at the age of 18.
• Indian Penal Code of 1860, Section 497: Married woman can have extra marital affairs and Indian judiciary cannot take any action against them. Legal actions can be taken against married men only and that too if they are having extra marital affairs with married women. If the married men are having affairs with unmarried girls/women, than it's not illegal.
• Serais Act, 1867: Any person can demand water, free of cost, from any hotel (it can be any luxurious hotels) at any time for himself or herself and for his/her pets or any animals. A fine of Rs 20 can be imposed on the person who refuses to follow the demand.
• Section 309 of IPC: If you are attempting to commit suicide, then make sure you succeed in your attempt. In India, a person committing suicide is legal but if the person fails to do so, then attempting suicide is illegal! The person can be arrested for committing the crime.

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