Total enactments
916
Central Acts listed
Central Acts of India
Explore legislation enacted by Parliament, from foundational constitutional statutes to criminal law, taxation, labour, corporate regulation and public services. Browse by subject or year, with statutory text available where source records permit.
Subject areas
12
Catalogue classifications
Year range
1838–2026
Acts represented in the catalogue
Access
Free
No sign-up required
Browse the catalogue
Directory of Central Acts by subject
Select a subject to browse matching Acts.
Showing 12 of 12 subject areas
- Courts, procedure & civil rightsCivil procedure, evidence, remedies, property and the administration of justice.112
- Companies & corporate governanceCompany formation, governance, insolvency and regulation of business entities.51
- Criminal law & justiceCriminal codes, procedure, evidence and laws addressing specific offences.58
- Defence & national securityThe armed forces, national security and the legal framework of defence.34
- Education & institutionsNational education frameworks, universities and institutions established by law.59
- Environment & conservationEnvironmental protection, natural resources and conservation.12
- Finance & financial regulationBanking, markets, public finance and statutory financial institutions.57
- Constitutional & public administrationFoundational statutes, public institutions, rights and the machinery of government.331
- Health & public welfarePublic health, medical institutions and social welfare legislation.48
- Infrastructure & public worksTransport, communications, energy and national infrastructure frameworks.65
- Labour & employmentEmployment, industrial relations, workplace conditions and social security.51
- Taxation & revenueDirect and indirect taxes, customs, duties and revenue administration.38
916 Central Acts in the catalogue; subject labels are for browsing and may overlap in scope.
Constitutional framework
Parliament’s legislative powers
The Constitution defines Parliament’s law-making authority and the territorial extent of Central legislation. The subject matter and each Act’s own provisions determine how a law operates.
Article 245
Territorial extent
Parliament may make laws for all or any part of India. Central legislation may also apply to specified territories as provided by law.
Article 246 · List I
Union List
The Constitution assigns Parliament exclusive legislative power over matters enumerated in the Union List, subject to its provisions.
Article 248
Residuary powers
Parliament has exclusive power to make laws on matters not enumerated in the State or Concurrent Lists, including relevant taxes.
Search and read
Central Acts directory
Search by title, acronym, subject or year. Use the filters to narrow the catalogue or browse it by year.
Ctrl K
The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020
Tax12 sectionsEnriched2020
PDF being processed
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2018
Criminal10 sectionsEnriched2018
PDF being processed
The Footwear Design and Development Institute Act, 2017The Footwear Design and Development Institute Act, 2017
General39 sectionsEnriched2017
PDF being processed
The Indian Institute of Management Act, 2017The Indian Institute of Management Act, 2017
Education39 sectionsEnriched2017
PDF being processed
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
Corporate255 sectionsEnriched2016
PDF being processed
The Legal Metrology Act, 2009The Legal Metrology Act, 2009
Corporate57 sectionsEnriched2009
PDF being processed
The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
Corporate81 sectionsEnriched2008
PDF being processed
The South Asian University Act, 2008THE SOUTH ASIAN UNIVERSITY ACT, 2008
Education32 sections2008
PDF being processed
The Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007The Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007
Corporate55 sectionsEnriched2007
PDF being processed
The Government Securities Act, 2006THE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES ACT, 2006
Corporate35 sections2006
PDF being processed
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006THE MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT ACT, 2006
Corporate32 sections2006
PDF being processed
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006
Infrastructure62 sections2006
PDF being processed
The National Tax Tribunal Act, 2005The National Tax Tribunal Act, 2005
Tax30 sectionsEnriched2005
PDF being processed
The University of Allahabad Act, 2005The University of Allahabad Act, 2005
Education46 sectionsEnriched2005
PDF being processed
The Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Repeal Act, 2003The Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Repeal Act, 2003
Corporate5 sectionsEnriched2003
PDF being processed
The Competition Act, 2002THE COMPETITION ACT, 2002
Corporate60 sectionsEnriched2002
PDF being processed
The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002
Corporate126 sectionsEnriched2002
PDF being processed
The Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002
Corporate25 sections2002
PDF being processed
The Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF WORLD AFFAIRS ACT, 2001
General29 sections2001
PDF being processed
The Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000The Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000
General56 sectionsEnriched2000
PDF being processed
The Designs Act, 2000The Designs Act, 2000
Corporate48 sections2000
PDF being processed
The Information Technology Act, 2000The Information Technology Act, 2000
General125 sections2000
PDF being processed
The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999
Corporate86 sectionsEnriched1999
PDF being processed
The Trade Marks Act, 1999The Trade Marks Act, 1999
Corporate159 sectionsEnriched1999
PDF being processed
The Depositories Act, 1996The Depositories Act, 1996
Corporate31 sectionsEnriched1996
PDF being processed
The Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Act, 1995The Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Act, 1995
Corporate39 sectionsEnriched1995
PDF being processed
The Recovery Of Debts And Bankruptcy Act, 1993The Recovery Of Debts And Bankruptcy Act, 1993
Corporate37 sectionsEnriched1993
PDF being processed
1 / 3
Central legislation · Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What are Central Acts?
Central Acts are laws enacted by Parliament. Their reach and operation depend on the Constitution, the Act's own provisions and any applicable rules or notifications.
How do I browse Acts by subject or year?
Choose a subject from the directory to jump to its matching Acts, or use the catalogue search and year filters below to narrow the complete list.
Do Central Acts apply uniformly across India?
Not always. An Act may extend to all or only part of India, and its provisions may commence on different dates or be subject to exceptions. Check the Act and relevant notifications.
Does the catalogue guarantee that an Act is current?
No. This is an information and study library, not an official legal record. Text, language and PDF availability vary; verify current provisions and amendments against the Official Gazette and authoritative sources.
Why might text or a PDF be unavailable?
Some source records are incomplete or still being processed. The library marks availability rather than filling gaps with unverified text.
Do Central Acts include rules and regulations?
The directory focuses on Acts in the catalogue. Related rules, regulations, notifications and commencement orders may be published separately and are not guaranteed to be included.