Sections 68-70 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Sections 68 to 70 deal with who supervises whom in a registration system. The Registrar controls the Sub-Registrars of his district, the Inspector General has general superintendence and a rule-making power, and the Inspector General may remit part of a fine. As per the text of the Act consulted, section 69 is where most of the day-to-day working rules of a registration office come from, and it is the reason State practice differs.
Every Sub-Registrar works under the superintendence and control of the Registrar of his district, and the Registrar may issue any order consistent with the Act about a Sub-Registrar's act or omission or about rectifying an error in the book or office of registration (section 68). The Inspector General has general superintendence over all registration offices in the State and may make rules consistent with the Act on matters listed in section 69(1)(a) to (j), subject to State Government approval and publication (section 69(2)). He may remit the difference between a fine under section 25 or 34 and the proper registration fee (section 70).
Section 68: the Registrar's control
Section 68(1). "Every Sub-Registrar shall perform the duties of his office under the superintendence and control of the Registrar in whose district the office of such Sub-Registrar is situate." The reporting line is territorial: the Registrar of that district.
Section 68(2). "Every Registrar shall have authority to issue (whether on complaint or otherwise) any order consistent with this Act which he considers necessary" in respect of:
- any act or omission of any Sub-Registrar subordinate to him; or
- the rectification of any error regarding the book or the office in which any document has been registered.
Three features are worth noting. The Registrar may act "on complaint or otherwise", so he need not wait for a complaint. The order must be "consistent with this Act". And the second limb covers the book or the office in which a document has been registered, which is the sort of error that arises when an entry is made in the wrong place. Our article on Sub-Registrar vs Registrar gives the overall picture of the two offices.
Registration is run by the States, and your State may have amended these sections or made rules under section 69; this article explains only the central text. Check the State position and any later amendment. If you have a registration problem that may call for a complaint or a challenge to an officer's action, our legal dispute resolution service can assess the route available.
Section 69: the Inspector General and rule-making
Section 69(1). The Inspector General "shall exercise a general superintendence over all the registration offices in the territories under the " and has power from time to time to make rules consistent with the Act on the following matters. The printed bracket around "State Government" marks substituted words.
| Clause | Matter on which rules may be made |
|---|---|
| (a) | The safe custody of books, papers and documents (the print shows omitted words, "[ *]", at the end of this clause) |
| (aa) | The manner and safeguards for keeping the books in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form under section 16-A (an inserted clause, in square brackets) |
| (b) | Declaring what language shall be deemed to be commonly used in each district |
| (c) | Declaring what territorial divisions shall be recognised under section 21 |
| (d) | Regulating the amount of fines imposed under sections 25 and 34 |
| (e) | Regulating the exercise of the discretion reposed in the registering officer by section 63 |
| (f) | Regulating the form in which registering officers are to make memoranda of documents |
| (g) | Regulating the authentication by Registrars and Sub-Registrars of the books kept under section 51 |
| (gg) | Regulating the manner in which the instruments referred to in section 88(2) may be presented for registration (an inserted clause) |
| (h) | Declaring the particular to be contained in Indexes Nos. I, II, III and IV (the copy prints "particular" in the singular) |
| (i) | Declaring the holidays to be observed in the registration offices |
| (j) | Generally, regulating the proceedings of Registrars and Sub-Registrars |
How the clauses connect to other sections
- Clause (aa) points to section 16-A on books kept in electronic form; see our article on register books, fire-proof boxes and electronic records. The text consulted does not describe any present-day electronic system and this article adds none.
- Clause (b) works with section 19 on documents in a language not commonly used in the district.
- Clause (d) is about regulating "the amount of fines imposed under sections 25 and 34". The Act itself prints only a ceiling in those two sections; our existing post on condonation of delay, section 25 covers section 25.
- Clause (e) is the rule power over the discretion given to an officer in section 63.
- Clause (gg) refers to section 88(2), the section about instruments executed by or in favour of Government officers and certain public functionaries.
- Clause (h) links to the four indexes of section 55.
Section 69(2): approval and publication
"The rules so made shall be submitted to the for approval, and, after they have been approved, they shall be published in the , and on publication shall have effect as if enacted in this Act." So a rule has force only after it has been approved and published; once it is, it has effect as if enacted in the Act. The words in square brackets are printed as substituted words.
The Act does not set out the rules themselves, and none is stated here. For what the rules of a given State say about fines, forms, holidays or custody, the State's own rules must be consulted.
Section 70: remission of fines
Section 70 says the Inspector General "may also, in the exercise of his discretion, remit wholly or in part the difference between any fine levied under section 25 or section 34, and the amount of the proper registration fee."
Notice what the power covers. It reaches the difference between the fine and the proper registration fee, not the registration fee itself. It may be exercised "wholly or in part". And it is a matter of his discretion; the text consulted gives no right to remission and states no procedure for asking for it. No amount appears in the section, and none should be assumed.
Why this matters in practice
If a registration office does something that seems wrong, section 68 shows that the Registrar of the district is the person with authority over the Sub-Registrar, and that the Registrar can act on complaint. If you want to know why a registry follows a particular practice on forms, holidays or the language of documents, section 69 is the source of rule-making, and the State's published rules are where the answer will be found.
An example
A Sub-Registrar in Ravi's district enters a deed in a book other than the one it belongs in. Ravi writes to the Registrar. Under section 68(2) the Registrar may, "whether on complaint or otherwise", issue any order consistent with the Act about the Sub-Registrar's act, and about the rectification of an error regarding the book in which the document has been registered.
Separately, a fine has been levied on Meena under section 25 for delay. Whether any part of the difference between that fine and the proper registration fee may be remitted is a matter for the Inspector General's discretion under section 70; the Act does not give Meena a right to it.
Need help with a problem at the registration office?
Where an officer's act or omission is holding up a registration, the right first step depends on the facts and the State's rules. Our legal dispute resolution team can look at the documents and advise on the route open to you.
Key takeaways
- Sub-Registrars work under the Registrar's superintendence and control (section 68(1)).
- The Registrar may issue any order consistent with the Act on a Sub-Registrar's act or omission and on rectifying an error in the book or office of registration (section 68(2)).
- The Inspector General's rule-making list in section 69(1) runs from clause (a) to clause (j), with clauses (aa) and (gg) inserted.
- Rules take effect only after State Government approval and publication (section 69(2)).
- The Inspector General may remit the difference between a fine under section 25 or 34 and the proper registration fee (section 70).
- Check your State's amendments and rules and any later amendment.
Read next
- Inspector General, districts, Registrars and Sub-Registrars: sections 3 to 8
- Register books, fire-proof boxes and electronic records: sections 16 and 16A
- Sub-Registrar vs Registrar: jurisdiction and powers
- Fees for registration: how much and to whom
Disclaimer: Based on a print of the Registration Act, 1908 marked as last updated on 9 July 2020, as consulted on 2 October 2026. State amendments and rules, later amendments, registration fees and stamp duty are not covered and should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.