Parliament on Thursday passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws to decriminalise and rationalise minor offences, with the aim of improving the business environment and reducing harassment.
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The Bill, introduced by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, was cleared by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote after being passed by the Lok Sabha a day earlier. The government said the legislation will benefit citizens and MSMEs by simplifying compliance and reducing the fear of criminal action for minor procedural lapses.
What is the Jan Vishwas Bill?
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, is a comprehensive reform measure that aims to decriminalise minor, technical and procedural offences across multiple central laws. Instead of treating such violations as criminal acts, the Bill shifts the approach towards civil penalties, warnings, and administrative action.
The objective is to create a more trust-based regulatory framework, where individuals and businesses are not penalised harshly for minor errors, while ensuring that serious violations continue to attract strict punishment. The move is also aimed at improving ease of doing business and reducing unnecessary litigation.
Major overhaul to decriminalise minor offences
The legislation proposes a wide-ranging shift from criminal penalties to civil and administrative mechanisms. It removes imprisonment in 57 provisions and fines in 158 provisions. In addition, jail terms are proposed to be reduced in 17 provisions, while imprisonment and fines will be converted into penalties in 113 provisions.
Overall, the Bill aims to rationalise more than 1,000 offences by removing outdated provisions and introducing a graded enforcement system. This includes issuing warnings for first-time violations and imposing proportionate penalties for repeat offences, thereby reducing the compliance burden and litigation.
“I believe that there will be no fear in those who make mistakes. There will be fear in those who break the law on purpose. We have tried to bring simplicity by decriminalising all this.
“We have tried to provide protection through adequate civil mechanism. And we have tried to bring swift and proportionate penalties. We have tried to bring swift and proportionate penalties,” he said.
Changes across key laws, focus on ease of living
The Bill proposes amendments across a range of laws including the Motor Vehicles Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, RBI Act, and municipal laws. It includes 67 amendments under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to improve ease of living.
Key changes under the Motor Vehicles Act include allowing vehicle registration across the state instead of a specific jurisdiction, enabling driving licence renewal from the date of renewal even if delayed, and providing a 30-day grace period after expiry during which the licence remains valid.
Responding to concerns raised by Opposition MPs, Goyal said the changes do not dilute strict provisions in sensitive sectors such as pharmaceuticals or agriculture. He emphasised that serious violations will continue to attract stringent punishment.
“We should not go to jail or court for a small mistake in procedural compliance… If someone sells spurious drugs, stocks them, imports them, manufactures them, or distributes them, and if the drugs are not approved by the drug controller… a very strict and severe criminal punishment has been imposed on them,” he said.
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The minister also said that the Bill does not compromise on women’s safety and that certain amendments in the Railways Act are pro-women. He added that extensive consultations were held with ministries, state governments and stakeholders before finalising the changes.
The legislation builds on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which had decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central laws, marking a continued push by the government to streamline regulations and improve ease of doing business in the country. |
