From Womb to Tomb: India’s Laws Across the Life Cycle
The Legal Framework Through Every Stage of
Existence in India
Advocate Y. Babji
We know that the environment is the sum of all living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements that surround us and shape our lives. It includes natural components such as soil, water, sunlight, air and sky, along with living organisms like plants and animals, together all these forming the physical environment. It also extends to human-made structures and social conditions that influence the growth, well-being and behaviour of every living being.
Mother Earth functions both as a source and a sink as it provides the natural resources essential for survival, while also absorbing the waste and pollutants generated by human activity.
In a similar yet less visible manner, laws of the land surround individuals at every stage of life. They govern interactions among people and regulates the relationship between humans and their environment. From conception to death, laws operate as a guiding and controlling framework shaping conduct, resolving conflicts and safeguarding the rights and dignity of individuals.
Just as the physical environment supports those who respect its limits and deteriorates when those limits are breached, the legal environment protects those who act within its boundaries and penalizes those who violate them. Both systems function as regulators of balance, order and sustainability. One in nature and the other in society.
India's Legal Landscape
In India, nearly 1,000 Central Acts are currently in force out of more than 6,000 enacted since 1834. Additionally, each of the 28 States and 8 Union Territories has its own legislature, producing new laws every year while many older ones continue to remain operative. Taken together, the total number of Central and State Acts, both current and historical, is estimated to exceed 20,000 as of 2025.
Across this vast and complex legal framework, law remains an invisible yet powerful guardian of human life. It protects liberty, ensures dignity and guides individual and collective conduct. More than a set of rules, law mirrors the evolving conscience of the nation duly balancing rights with responsibilities, and justice with compassion.
Dynamic and adaptive, it responds to social change, technological advancements and shifting moral standards, ensuring that order, equity and fairness endure. In essence, law is all-pervasive: subtle yet impactful, ever-present yet often unnoticed. Much like the atmosphere that sustains life, the legal environment supports civilized existence by shaping our choices, actions and relationships.
Law is the silent architecture upon which society rests. It is an unseen structure that upholds harmony, justice and human dignity.
Here, you may see a life-cycle-wise compilation of major Acts, Rules, Regulations and
Policies in India that govern human life, literally from womb to tomb.
1. Before Birth — Conception and Maternity: Laws protecting life and rights even before birth and during pregnancy:
- Medical Termination
of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 –
Regulates abortion and safeguards women’s reproductive rights.
- Pre-Conception and
Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994
(PCPNDT) – Prevents female foeticide and misuse of
diagnostic technology.
- Maternity Benefit
(Amendment) Act, 2017 – Grants maternity leave,
benefits and crèche facilities to women employees.
- National Food
Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) – Ensures nutritional
support to pregnant and lactating women.
2. Birth, Childhood and Early Years: Laws governing registration, care, education and protection of children.
- Infant Milk
Substitutes Act, 1992 – Promotes breastfeeding
and regulates infant food products.
- Registration of
Births and Deaths Act, 1969 –
Mandates registration of all births and deaths.
- Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 –
Ensures care, protection and rehabilitation of children.
- Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) – Guarantees free education for children aged 6–14 years.
- Child Labour
(Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 – Prohibits child labour in hazardous work.
- Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) – Safeguards minors from sexual abuse and exploitation.
- Prohibition of Child
Marriage Act, 2006 – Forbids marriage below 18 years (female)
and 21 years (male).
3. Adolescence, Youth and Education: Laws
promoting personal growth, learning and skill-building.
- National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 (NCPCR) – Establishes a body to monitor and protect child rights.
- University Grants
Commission Act, 1956 – Regulates higher education and
universities.
- All India Council
for Technical Education Act, 1987 (AICTE) –
Governs technical and professional education.
- National Education
Policy, 2020 – Lays the framework for modern educational
reforms.
- Apprentices Act,
1961 – Provides for vocational training and skill
development.
4. Adulthood, Marriage, Family and
Relationships: Laws governing family, marriage and personal
relationships.
- Right to Information
Act, 2005 (RTI) – Ensures transparency and accountability in
governance.
- Digital Personal
Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP) –
Regulates digital data privacy and security.
- Hindu Marriage Act,
1955 / Special
Marriage Act, 1954 – Regulate marital relations and interfaith
marriages.
- Muslim Personal Law
(Shariat) Application Act, 1937 / Christian Marriage Act, 1872 / Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936
– Govern marriage and divorce within respective communities.
- Hindu Adoptions and
Maintenance Act, 1956 – Regulates adoption and
maintenance obligations.
- Dowry Prohibition
Act, 1961 – Prohibits giving or taking dowry.
- Protection of Women
from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 –
Safeguards women against physical, emotional and economic abuse.
- Maintenance and
Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 – Ensures care and dignity for elderly citizens.
5. Employment and Labour: Laws ensuring fair work, wages and welfare.
- Industrial Disputes
Act, 1947 – Provides mechanisms for industrial dispute
resolution.
- Factories Act, 1948 – Ensures health, safety, and welfare of workers.
- Employees’ Provident
Funds Act, 1952 – Provides retirement benefits and financial
security.
- Code on Wages, 2019 – Consolidates wage-related laws.
- Code on Social
Security, 2020 – Integrates multiple welfare measures for
workers.
- Occupational Safety,
Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 – Ensures
safe working environments.
- Industrial Relations
Code, 2020 – Reforms labour relations and collective
bargaining.
6. Property, Residence and Ownership: Governs
the acquisition, registration, transfer and inheritance of property.
- Transfer of Property
Act, 1882 – Governs sale, lease and transfer of
property.
- Registration Act,
1908 – Provides procedures for legal
documentation.
- Real Estate
(Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) – Ensures transparency and accountability in real estate.
- Hindu Succession
Act, 1956 / Indian Succession Act, 1925 –
Governs inheritance and succession.
7. Citizenship and Civic Rights: Defines individual identity, participation
and legal standing within the nation.
- Constitution of
India, 1950 – Guarantees Fundamental Rights and Directive
Principles.
- Representation of
the People Act, 1951 – Regulates elections and voting rights.
- Passport Act, 1967 /
Emigration Act, 1983 – Regulate travel and emigration.
- Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 – Governs vehicle ownership and road safety.
- Income Tax Act, 1961 – Regulates taxation on income.
- Aadhaar Act, 2016 – Establishes national identity and digital authentication.
- Excise Acts (Central
& State) – Regulate production and consumption of
alcohol.
8. Intellectual Property Rights: Protects
creative, scientific and commercial innovations.
- Indian Contract Act,
1872 – Defines formation and enforceability of
contracts.
- Copyright Act, 1957 – Protects literary and artistic works.
- Patents Act, 1970 – Protects inventions and innovations.
- Trade Marks Act,
1999 / Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 – Protect brands and regional identities.
- Designs Act, 2000 /
Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 – Safeguard industrial and microchip designs.
- Protection of Plant
Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 –
Recognizes breeders’ and farmers’ rights.
9. Environment, Public Health and Civic Living:
Promotes sustainable living, environmental care and health protection.
- Indian Forest Act,
1927 / Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 – Core
environmental conservation laws.
- Water Act, 1974 /
Air Act, 1981 – Prevent and control pollution.
- Food Safety and
Standards Act, 2006 – Ensures quality of food products.
- Biomedical Waste
Management Rules, 2016 – Regulate disposal of
medical waste.
- National Green
Tribunal Act, 2010 – Establishes a tribunal for environmental
justice.
- Drugs and Cosmetics
Act, 1940 – Regulates manufacture and sale of drugs.
- Societies
Registration Act, 1860 / Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 – Govern formation of voluntary and cooperative bodies.
10. Rights, Safety and Justice: Ensures
justice, equality and human dignity under due process.
- Constitution of India,
1949 – The supreme law of the land.
- Indian Penal Code,
1860 (Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023) –
Define offences and penalties.
- Indian Evidence Act,
1872 (Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023) –
Regulate admissibility of evidence.
- Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908 / Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Bharatiya Nagarik
Suraksha Sanhita, 2023) – Define civil and criminal
procedures.
- Protection of Human
Rights Act, 1993 – Establishes Human Rights Commissions.
- Right to Privacy
(Puttaswamy Judgment, 2017) –
Recognizes privacy as a fundamental right.
- Consumer Protection
Act, 2019 – Safeguards consumer interests.
11. Death, Succession and Beyond: Governs
death registration, inheritance and posthumous rights.
- Anatomy Act, 1949
(State-specific) – Governs body donation for medical
education.
- Notaries Act, 1952 /
Indian Stamp Act, 1899 – Authenticate and validate
legal documents.
- Registration of
Births and Deaths Act, 1969 –
Mandates legal recording of deaths.
- Maintenance and
Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 – Ensures dignity in later life.
- Mental Health and
Suicide Prevention Initiatives –
Promote compassion and care through decriminalization.
12. Cross-Cutting and Lifetime Rights: Ensures
transparency, accountability and welfare throughout life.
- Information
Technology Act, 2000 (Amendment 2008) –
Governs cybercrimes and e-governance.
- Right to Information
Act, 2005 – Empowers citizens to access information.
- Disaster Management
Act, 2005 – Provides a framework for disaster
preparedness.
- Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 – Guarantees mental health rights and humane treatment.
