Latest news with #RegistrationBill2025
Gulf Insider
03-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
'If You Own A Property In India...': Investment Banker Warns Of Big Real Estate Shake-Up
India is on the verge of overhauling a 100-year-old property registration system, aiming to shut down a major loophole that has long enabled real estate fraud—especially against NRIs. Investment banker Sarthak Ahuja sounded the alarm on LinkedIn, calling the upcoming Registration Bill 2025 'something every property owner in India can't afford to ignore.' The proposed law promises to digitize the country's fragmented property records, making all title deeds, owner identities (Aadhaar-linked), and existing bank liabilities available online for instant verification. Ahuja highlights that under current laws, properties are often sold by individuals who aren't the rightful owners—especially in NRI cases, where absentee landlords may only realize the fraud years later. 'This is the biggest real estate fraud today—where someone sells what they don't own, and buyers lose everything,' he wrote. The new bill mandates that not just sales but even Agreements to Sell and Builder Agreements must be registered online, cutting off the practice of one property being promised to multiple buyers. Documents executed under Power of Attorney—some decades old—will also need to be uploaded to the new system once the law is enacted. Ahuja warns that property owners must get ahead of the change. Any inconsistencies in name spellings, address mismatches, or outdated utility bill details could cause serious trouble when the online system launches. 'This is the time to clean up your paperwork,' he advised. While the full rollout process and the official website are yet to be announced, the direction is clear: India's real estate records are moving online, and the margin for error—or deception—is about to shrink dramatically.
India Today
03-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Own property in India? Why you must fix any paperwork issues now
If you own property in India, whether you live here or abroad, there's a big change coming that you shouldn't ignore. A new law is on the way that could completely change how properties are registered and verified in the banker Sarthak Ahuja recently posted on LinkedIn to caution people about this major shift. He wrote, 'If you own a property in India, you can't miss this because you'll need to do this asapThe government has taken a huge step and changed a 100 year old law... because of which a lot of real estate frauds will be avoided...' advertisementHe added, 'So far, the biggest fraud in real estate would be when someone who is not a rightful owner would sell the property... and the buyer would after having paid the money realise that they lost their money and the rightful owner was someone else. This is most common with NRIs - where the owners are not present locally... and would realise months or years later when they come to India.' In fact, for years, the biggest property scam in India has been when someone who isn't the real owner sells a property. The buyer, after paying a huge amount, later finds out they were cheated, and the actual owner was someone else all problem hits NRIs the hardest, as they are often not around to check on their property. Many realise the fraud months or even years later when they return to the government has taken a huge step to stop property fraud by changing a law that's over 100 years old. This new law, called the Registration Bill 2025, will soon make it mandatory to move all land and property records WILL CHANGE UNDER THE NEW LAW?Sarthak Ahuja believes the new law will be a game-changer in curbing property-related the updated rules, all property records will go digital, allowing buyers to access title deeds, ownership details linked to Aadhaar, and any bank loans or dues on the to Sell, and Builder Agreements must now be registered online, and even properties purchased earlier via Power of Attorney documents must be uploaded. With real-time access to all these details, buyers no longer need to rely on brokers or visit offices for wrote, 'The Registration Bill 2025 has been announced which aims to digitise land ownership data on where you can verify in real time the title deeds, the owners' details would be Aadhaar linked, bank loans and liabilities would be listed... So that you could verify all documents online, and not offline.'TIME TO FIX PAPERWORKAhuja says property owners should use this time to sort out any issues in their documents—mismatched names, wrong addresses, outdated bills or old paperwork. These small errors could create big problems once the system goes advised, 'This is the time when if you have to correct names on properties, fix known issues in utility bills etc. done, because you would want to get your paperwork in order so that there are no mismatches in data across your documents which will create a problem for you in online registration.'In other words, India's real estate system is finally entering the digital age, and that means less room for mistakes or fraud.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
117 year-old Registration Act to be replaced
The Ministry of Rural Development on Tuesday (May 27, 2025) circulated the draft Registration Bill 2025, which seeks to replace a 117-year-old law governing the registration of immovable property and other transactions. The Registration Act, 1908, currently provides the legal basis for the registration of documents affecting immovable property and other transactions. The new Bill introduces enabling provisions to support online registration, including electronic presentation and admission of documents, issuance of electronic registration certificates, and digital maintenance of records. The Bill allows for both Aadhaar-based authentication alongside alternative verification mechanisms for individuals who do not possess Aadhaar or choose not to use it. The new law, according to the Rural Development Ministry, will also enable electronic integration with other record-keeping systems. The Ministry stated that the new law is aimed at making the registration process more accessible and citizen-centric, as it promotes plain language for drafting documents and transparent procedures, especially for individual citizens and small businesses. It encourages simplification without compromising on legal certainty or procedural safeguards. The administration of the Registration Act, 1908, was transferred to the Department of Land Resources of Ministry of Rural Development, in 2006. The new draft law has been placed on the Department of Land Resources' website for suggestions and comments from the public.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
A property deal? Here are the documents you may have to compulsorily register
The government has invited suggestions from the public on the draft of a Bill that will replace the more-than-a-century-old law on the country's registration system. The Registration Act, 1908 provides the legal basis for the registration of a wide range of documents including those relating to immovable property. The Registration Bill 2025, a draft of which was released on Tuesday (May 27), will be a step towards the creation of a modern, online, paperless, and citizen-centric registration system, the government said in an official release. The draft Bill is open for suggestions until June 25. After the pre-legislative consultation process, the Bill will go to the Cabinet for approval, and will be introduced in Parliament for discussion and passage. The proposed Bill The draft Registration Bill prepared by the Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development is 43 pages long, with 17 chapters and 86 Sections and a Schedule. The 1908 law is somewhat longer, with 93 Sections. Among the key features of the draft Bill: * ONLINE REGISTRATION: The draft contains enabling provisions to support online registration, including electronic presentation and admission of documents, issuance of electronic registration certificates, and digital maintenance of records. The existing law does not have provisions for electronically presenting documents for registration of an immovable property. * AADHAAR-BASED AUTHENTICATION: Section 29(3) of the draft Bill says: 'Every person presenting any document for registration under section 28 may undergo consent-based Aadhaar authentication, or offline verification or consent-based verification through officially valid documents or equivalent e-documents…in such offices of registering officers as may be notified…' The Bill clarifies that no person will be refused registration for not having Aadhaar. * WIDER SCOPE OF COMPULSORY REGISTRATION: The draft Bill expands the list of documents that require compulsory registration. Under Section 12(1) of the draft, it is compulsory to register the following documents, if the property to which they relate is situated in a district where the Act is in force, and if they have been executed on or after the date on which this provision comes into force: (a) instruments of gift of immovable property; (b) other non-testamentary instruments which purport or operate to create, declare, assign, limit, or extinguish, whether in present or in future, any right, title, or interest, whether vested or contingent, to or in immovable property, for some consideration; (c) non-testamentary instruments which acknowledge the receipt or payment of any consideration on account of the creation, declaration, assignment, limitation or extinction of any such right, title, or interest; d) leases of immovable property from year to year, or for any term exceeding one year or reserving a yearly rent; (e) non-testamentary instruments transferring or assigning any decree, court order, or award, when it purports or operates to create, declare, assign, limit, or extinguish a present or future right, title, or interest, whether vested or contingent, to or in immovable property; (f) any document which purports or operates to effect any contract for sale of immovable property, including an agreement for sale, developer's agreement, or promoter's agreement, by whatever name called, for development of any property or construction of structure; (g) power of attorney authorising transfer of immovable property with or without consideration; (h) document setting out terms and conditions for a mortgage by deposit of title deed, barring specific exceptions; (i) sale certificate issued by any competent officer or authority under any Central Act or State Act for the time being in force; (j) instruments in respect of amalgamation, reconstruction, merger, and demerger of companies and transfer of immovable property at the time of formation of companies pursuant to any order passed under the Companies Act, 2013; (k) instruments which purport or operate to create, declare, assign, limit, extinguish any right, title, or interest, whether vested or contingent, in immovable property pursuant to any decree or order or any award made by a court. Why the change in law According to the government, while the existing law has served as a 'cornerstone' of the document registration system for more than 100 years, 'over time, the role of registered documents has grown significantly in both public and private transactions', and it is 'essential that the process of registration is robust, reliable, and capable of adapting to evolving societal and technological developments'. The official release points out that 'in recent years, the growing use of technologies, evolving socio-economic practices, and increasing reliance on registered documents for due diligence, service delivery, and legal adjudication have underscored the need to create a forward-looking registration framework'. In fact, several states and Union Territories have already introduced online submission of documents and digital verification of identity under the 1908 Act, says the release. Also, it is important to 'delineate the roles and responsibilities of registering officers, enabling them to uphold the integrity and reliability of the registration process in a manner consistent with applicable law'. There is, thus, 'a need to provide a harmonized and enabling legislative framework to support secure, efficient, and citizen-centric registration practices across the country', says the release. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
