Recently, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 to decriminalise minor offences.

About the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023

• It was the first consolidated legislation that decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments.
• It replaced imprisonment/fines for trivial offences with monetary penalties, warnings, or administrative actions.
  

About the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025

• Objective: To further enhance Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living by decriminalising minor, technical, and procedural offences.

• Key Changes: 355 provisions amended across 16 Central Acts administered by 10 Ministries/Departments.288 provisions decriminalised (ease of business).
  • 67 provisions rationalised (ease of living).
  • Only advisory/warning  for first-time contraventions  in 76 cases.Empowering designated officers for administrative penalty decisions, reducing judicial burden.
  • Automatic revision of  Fines and penalties  (10% increase in every three years)
• Key Acts Affected
  • New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (NDMC Act)
  • Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
  • Tea Act, 1953
  • Legal Metrology Act, 2009
  • Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940

Example of Changes brought under the Bill

Significance of the Bill

• Trust-based governance: Reduces criminalisation of minor defaults, fostering citizen- and business-friendly regulation.
• Improved business climate: Aligns with the government’s Ease of Doing Business reform agenda, reducing compliance burdens.
• Efficient justice delivery: Limits unnecessary litigation by shifting offences to administrative adjudication.

Conclusion

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 builds on the 2023 Act, advancing India’s agenda of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” and strengthening regulatory reforms.

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