This document summarizes how new laws are formed in India through examples. It describes how issues faced by citizens can be raised to members of parliament, who may then introduce a new bill. The bill goes through a process of reviews and amendments before being passed into law. As an example, it outlines the timeline of events that led to the formation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act in 2006, from citizens initially complaining about domestic violence to various groups drafting and revising the bill over several years before it was passed.

1. Chapter – 4
Social science
Class – 8th
Pedagogy – Social science
NCERT
Name – Smriti Bhoray
Course – B.a , B.ed integrated
Department of education
Lovely school of education

2. THINK WHY?
• How will government or parliament come to know that
there is need for any law or act?
• Britishers used their arbitrariness through which two
acts?
• After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre , which system
reformed in India?

3. Ram was a school going boy who took admission in ABC balak school. Ram belonged a
to middle class family. After going to school for over a week , the school authorities
decided to increase more school buses so that every student will come through school’s
transportation. On making this new rule, there were many other students who were from
economically weaker sections and could not afford to pay for the school bus. They came
to school either by walking or on cycle.
So one day, Ram made a group with other students who were going through the same
problem and they spoke to the principal on this matter.
Principal listened to each and every concern carefully and finally removed the rule of
coming to school on school’s transportation.
Can we relate this onto national level?
Ans is : yes we can relate and this is how new laws will be formed.
Case study

4. How to new laws come about?
The Parliament has an important role in making laws.
There are many ways through which this takes place and it is often different groups in society that raise the need
for a particular law.
An important role of Parliament is to be sensitive to the problems faced by people.
It is introduced by the Minister or the Member of the Parliament who explains the aims and objectives of
the proposed Bill.
The Bill then goes to the President for his assent. After the President gives his assent the Bill becomes a law and is
officially recognized.

5. Timeline of a law
April 1991 – two women go to the police station to complain about domestic violence faced by their husbands and in-laws.
April 1991 – the two ladies were denied and their complaint was not registered because there was no such type of law which had
options.
May 1992-1997 – these two ladies spoke about their violence problems to many other people and at different forums, the need
for a new law as raised at different forums, women gave testimonies of physical harassment.
June 1999- lawyers collective group, , law students and activists took all the request, pleading and consultations and drafted the
domestic violence bill (monetary relief, sexual harassment, emotional abuse and evicted from shared household were included).
April 2001- meetings were held in different organizations.
April 2002- Bill was introduced in the parliament but bill was discrepant in nature. Citizens started opposing the bill.
June 2001 - Several women’s organizations, National Commission for Women made submissions to the Parliamentary Standing
Committee to change or amend the bill.
December 2002 - the Standing Committee submitted its recommendations to the Rajya Sabha and these were also tabled in the
Lok Sabha.
March 2005 – finally a new bill was introduced in the parliament.
October 2006 – finally the bill became law and The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act came into effect in
2006.

6. EXPLORE
What other laws are there to safeguard the women citizens of India?
Can you think of such laws?
Process which made the parliament more aware?

7. THINK
Often women who face violence or are abused are seen as victims. But women struggle in
several different ways to survive these situations.”
Why do you think it is more accurate to refer to them as survivors rather than as victims?

8. THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH THE VOICE OF THE
CITIZENS CAN BE HEARD BY THE PARLIAMENT.

9. REFLECT
Are there any laws which are controversial?
What makes them controversial ?
Ans is : When a large number of people begin to feel that a wrong law has
been passed, then there is pressure on the Parliament to change this. Various
municipal laws on the use of space within municipal limits often make hawking
and street vending illegal.

10. FEW EXAMPLES OF LAW

11. WHY?
• Does choosing representatives end our role as citizens?

12. THINK ?
• Rajesh has already casted his vote and now he does not read newspapers
or watches any news because he is fully confident of the fact that he had
chosen a better representative or MLA and that representative will do his
duties diligently. Do you think Rajesh is right on his part ?
• Ans is : No , he should be aware of the leaders who he has chosen.