• The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to provide for the regulation of boilers, safety of life and property of persons from the danger of explosions of steam-boilers and uniformity in registration.

• The Boilers Bill, 2024, seeks to repeal the century-old Boilers Act, 1923.

• The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in December 2024. 

• Now it will be sent for assent of the President of India.

What is a boiler? 

Boiler is a pressurised system in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporised fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications. Steam thus generated may be used directly as a heating medium, or as the working fluid in a prime mover to convert thermal energy to mechanical work, which in turn may be converted to electrical energy. Boilers find application in key industries sectors of oil and gas, power, steel, fertilizers, chemicals, cement, etc.

Why the govt brings in new legislation?

• The Boilers Act, 1923 was enacted with the objective of ensuring uniformity throughout India in all technical aspects pertaining to the regulation of boilers. 

• This included standards of construction, maximum pressure specifications as well as the registration and periodic inspection of all boilers with particular focus on matters concerning the safety of life and property.

• The Boilers Act, 1923 was comprehensively amended in 2007 by the Indian Boilers (Amendment) Act, 2007 wherein inspection and certification by independent third party inspecting authorities was introduced.

• Recently, the government of India initiated a comprehensive examination of pre-Constitutional Acts to assess their relevance and suitability in the contemporary context. In this context, the 1923 Act was examined and it has been considered necessary to review the provisions of the Act. 

• Certain new definitions have been incorporated and few existing definitions have been amended so as to give more clarity to the provisions of the Bill.

Key points on Boilers Bill, 2024:

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said several colonial-era redundant and obsolete provisions have been removed and the Bill seeks to do away with the colonial mindset.

• The Boilers Bill, 2024, will enhance safety as specific provisions have been made to ensure the safety of persons working inside a boiler and that repair of boiler is undertaken by qualified and competent persons.

• The similar provisions which are at different places in the Boilers Act, 1923 have been grouped together in six chapters for easier reading and understanding of the Act.

• All the functions/powers of the central, state governments and Central Boilers Board have been enumerated in detail to avoid any confusion.

• Out of the seven offences, to ensure safety of boilers and personnel dealing with boilers, in four major offences which may result in loss of life and property, criminal penalties are retained.

• For other offences, the provision is being made for fiscal penalty.

• Moreover, for all non-criminal offences, fine has been converted into penalty to be levied through executive mechanism instead of courts as existed earlier.

• The Bill will enhance safety as specific provisions have been made to ensure the safety of persons working inside a boiler and that repair of boiler is undertaken by qualified and competent persons.

• The re-enacted legislation meets the current requirements of stakeholders including industry, personnel working on/with boilers and implementers in the country.

• For ease of doing business, the Bill will benefit boiler users including those in the MSME sector as provisions related to the decriminalisation have been incorporated in the Bill.

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