Issues Highlighted by the SC

• Outdated Laws: Land registration still governed by colonial era laws such as the Transfer of Property Act 1882, Stamp Act 1899, and Registration Act 1908.
• No Conclusive Title: Registration of a deed (under the Registration Act) only provides presumptive evidence of ownership, not conclusive title. 
  • This means the state does not certify the authenticity of ownership, leaving buyers vulnerable to litigation.
• Litigation Burden: Fraudulent deeds, encroachments, and weak verification leads to 66% of civil litigation.
• Incomplete Digitisation: Programmes like DILRMP (Digital India Land Records Modernization) and NGDRS (National Generic Document Registration System) digitise records but do not correct faulty titles.

Key Suggestions by the SC

• Blockchain Integration: could create an incorruptible, transparent, and easily verifiable registry of property transactions.
  • Such systems could integrate survey data, cadastral maps, and registration details, preventing multiple sales of the same property.
• Conclusive Title: Directed the Law Commission to study a shift from presumptive to conclusive titling.
• Institutional Overhaul: Called for legal amendments or alignments in the Registration Act (1908), Evidence Act (1872), IT Act (2000), etc. and stronger Centre-State coordination.