Govt proposes New Indian Stamp Bill, 2023

19 Jan 2024 CW Team

The government is considering the repeal of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and the introduction of a new legislation governing the stamp duty system in the country. The Department of Revenue, under the Ministry of Finance, has issued an invitation for public input on the draft 'Indian Stamp Bill, 2023' over the next 30 days.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance revealed, "The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has formulated a draft 'Indian Stamp Bill, 2023' to modernise the existing stamp duty regime. Once enacted, this Bill will replace the outdated Indian Stamp Act, 1899."

The Indian Stamp Act, 1899 outlines the legal provisions for the taxation of transactions through the use of stamps. Although stamp duties are imposed by the central government, the states are responsible for their collection and appropriation as per the provisions of Article 268 of the Constitution.

Stamp duties related to documents listed in entry 91 of the union list of the Seventh Schedule (such as bills of exchange, cheques, promissory notes, bills of lading, letters of credit, policies of insurance, transfer of shares, debentures, proxies, and receipts) are imposed by the Union. On the other hand, the states collect other stamp duties on various documents.

The Ministry of Finance emphasised that the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, a pre-Constitution Act, has undergone amendments over time to adapt to a more contemporary stamp duty system. However, certain provisions within the act have become obsolete, necessitating a reorientation of the legislation to better reflect current realities and objectives.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..