The Land Acquisition Act of 1894 allows the Indian and Pakistani governments to acquire private land for public purposes, providing compensation to landowners. It was originally developed to acquire land for railways but is now used for industrialization and infrastructure projects. The Act went through amendments in 2013 to provide greater protections for landowners, including requiring consent, higher compensation rates, land replacement for fertile plots, and land return if projects are delayed. However, critics argued the 2013 Act made the acquisition process too complex. The 2015 amendments aimed to simplify acquisition procedures.