The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, expanding the government’s wider reform drive to decriminalise minor offences and simplify regulatory provisions across sectors.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the legislation after it received approval from the Union Cabinet and requested that it be referred to a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny. The panel is expected to submit its report by the first day of the next session.
The new Bill builds upon the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which was the first consolidated effort to remove imprisonment clauses for minor and technical violations in central legislation. The 2023 law decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Acts across 19 ministries and departments.
According to the government, the 2025 Bill proposes amendments in 16 Central Acts administered by 10 ministries and departments, covering 355 provisions in total. Of these, 288 provisions are set to be decriminalised with the intent of boosting the ease of doing business, while 67 provisions will be amended to promote the ease of living.
The Bill also proposes amendments to the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, providing for graded penalties, proportionate fines and administrative adjudication mechanisms. For first-time contraventions under 76 offences, the Bill replaces prosecution with advisory or warning.
Officials said the Bill removes imprisonment clauses for minor, technical or procedural defaults and empowers designated officers to impose monetary penalties. The legislation also provides for an automatic 10 per cent increase in fines every three years in order to maintain deterrence without the need for fresh amendments.
Also read: Chhattisgarh passes Jan Vishwas Bill
Key features of the Bill:
- First-time contraventions: Advisory or warning for 76 offences under 10 Acts.
- Decriminalisation: Imprisonment clauses for minor, technical or procedural defaults replaced with monetary penalties or warnings.
- Rationalisation of penalties: Penalties made proportionate, with graduated penalties for repeated offences.
- Adjudication mechanisms: Designated officers empowered to impose penalties through administrative processes, reducing judicial burden.
- Revision of fines and penalties: Automatic 10% increase every three years to maintain deterrence without legislative amendments.
Four Acts, the Tea Act, 1953, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which were partially decriminalised under the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 will undergo further reform through the new Bill.
Describing the move as a key milestone in India’s regulatory reform journey, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said it reflected the government’s commitment to “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” and would support sustainable economic growth
Follow us
