• The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal introduced Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha on August 18. 

• It aims to decriminalise as many as 288 provisions relating to minor offences under different laws with a view to promote ease of living and improve business climate.

• This is the second Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill. Earlier in 2023, the government enacted a similar law decriminalising 183 provisions in 42 central Acts, administered by 19 ministries and departments.

• The new Bill was referred to the Select Committee of the Lok Sabha for scrutiny. It has been tasked to submit its report to the House by the first day of the next session of Parliament.

What is the purpose of the new Bill?

• A web of outdated rules and regulations causes trust deficit. 

• It has been the endeavour of the government to achieve the principle of ‘Minimum Government Maximum Governance’, redefining the regulatory landscape of the country under the ease of living and ease of doing business reforms.

• Reducing compliance burden gives impetus to business process re-engineering and improves ease of living of people. 

• A series of measures such as simplifying, digitising and rationalising compliances are being undertaken to achieve these goals. 

• India needs to shed the baggage of antiquated laws that adversely affect developmental trajectory. 

• With the advent of technology and changes in the socio-economic scenario, it is essential to unshackle the bygone mindset.

• The fear of imprisonment for minor offences is a major factor hampering the growth of the business ecosystem and individual confidence. 

• Decriminalisation of a large number of minor offences by replacing them with monetary penalties have been identified. 

• The endeavour is not only to make lives and businesses easier but also to reduce judicial burden. 

• Settlement of a large number of issues, by compounding method, adjudication and administrative mechanism, without involving courts, will enable persons to remedy minor contraventions and defaults, sometimes committed unknowingly by them, and save time, energy and resources.

• Jan Vishwas (Amendments of Provisions) Bill, 2025 is a continuation of the regulatory reforms started under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. 

• This initiative aims to decriminalise minor offences across various laws to reduce the compliance burden on businesses, promote ease of doing business and ease of living for citizens by rationalising processes by issuing warnings at the first instance of contraventions and imposing penalties for subsequent contraventions.

Key features of the Bill:

• The reforms agenda will cover 16 central Acts administered by 10 ministries and departments.

• A total of 355 provisions are proposed to be amended through this Bill. 

• It includes 288 provisions to be decriminalised to foster ease of doing business, and 67 others to facilitate ease of living.

• The legislation has proposed to decriminalise norms related to a number of laws, including Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (NDMC Act), and The Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950.

• Four Acts — the Tea Act, 1953, Legal Metrology Act, 2009, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940  were part of Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 and are proposed for further decriminalisation under the current Bill.

• As per the Bill, first time offenders under 10 laws will be given advisory or warning for 76 offences.

• It also proposes to replace imprisonment for minor, technical or procedural defaults with monetary penalties or warnings. 

• Penalties are also proposed to be made proportionate, with graduated penalties for repeated offences.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)