The Centre on Friday operationalised key health sector reforms under the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, decriminalising several minor and technical violations under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, while retaining stringent penalties for offences that endanger public health.
The Union Health Ministry said the reforms are aimed at improving the ease of doing business, reducing compliance burdens on businesses and ensuring proportionate regulatory enforcement without compromising consumer safety.
Under the revised framework, several technical and procedural violations that previously attracted criminal prosecution will now be dealt with through administrative penalties.
Among the significant changes, Section 29 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which prescribed a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh for using a government analyst's report to advertise a drug or cosmetic, has been omitted.
The government has also shifted violations relating to the manufacture or sale of low-risk cosmetics to an administrative penalty regime. These include minor quality deficiencies, labelling errors and procedural lapses.
However, offences involving spurious or adulterated cosmetics, which directly affect consumer safety, will continue to attract stringent penal provisions under the law.
Also read: Jan Vishwas reforms: Centre pushes southern states
The amendments also convert violations under Section 28A, covering procedural requirements such as maintenance of records and submission of information, into administrative penalties.
To facilitate implementation, the government has introduced provisions for appointing adjudicating authorities and establishing an appellate mechanism for the timely disposal of cases involving such violations.
In the food safety sector, offences relating to court-imposed fines for filing false complaints against food safety officers will now be handled through an administrative penalty mechanism.
The punishment for interfering with seized items has been rationalised, with the maximum imprisonment reduced from six months to three months.
The government has also removed the provision relating to obstructing or resisting a food safety officer, noting that such offences are already covered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), thereby eliminating duplication in the legal framework.
According to the ministry, the reforms distinguish between technical lapses and serious public health offences, ensuring proportionate enforcement while maintaining the integrity of India's food and drug regulatory system.
The ministry said it remained committed to protecting public health while creating a transparent, trust-based and business-friendly regulatory environment.
Follow us
