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Lok Sabha passes Jan Vishwas amendment bill

April 01, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance Economics GS2 GS3
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What Happened

  • The Lok Sabha on April 1, 2026 passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 by voice vote, a sequel to the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023.
  • The Bill amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries, seeking to decriminalise 717 provisions and amend 67 more to facilitate ease of living.
  • It rationalises more than 1,000 offences, removing outdated and redundant provisions to improve the overall regulatory environment.
  • Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, replying to the debate, stated the Bill will benefit individuals and MSMEs by reducing the risk of criminal prosecution for minor, technical, or procedural violations.
  • Congress member K. Kavya moved amendments that were rejected by voice vote.

Static Topic Bridges

Jan Vishwas Act 2023: The First Wave of Decriminalisation

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 was India's first systematic exercise in decriminalising minor offences across multiple central laws. It amended 183 provisions across 42 Acts, converting criminal penalties (imprisonment, fine) for minor and technical violations into civil penalties. The rationale: over-criminalisation of regulatory offences discourages entrepreneurship, burdens courts, and creates scope for harassment.

  • Jan Vishwas Act, 2023: Amended 183 provisions in 42 Acts across 19 ministries
  • Approach: Replaced imprisonment with fines; converted criminal to civil/regulatory penalties; removed compounding bars; introduced adjudicatory officers instead of magistrates for minor offences
  • Acts amended include: Environment (Protection) Act, Food Safety and Standards Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, IT Act, Patents Act, Copyright Act, Companies Act provisions
  • The 2026 Bill (sequel) significantly expands the scope: 784 provisions, 79 Acts, 23 ministries — over 4x the 2023 exercise
  • Inspired by: Ease of Doing Business Index (India improved from rank 142 in 2014 to rank 63 in 2020 before report discontinued), and recommendations of the Expert Committee on Ease of Doing Business (Amitabh Kant Committee)

Connection to this news: The 2026 Bill continues where the 2023 Act left off — it represents the government's commitment to a broader regulatory overhaul that treats minor technical non-compliance as a business risk management issue, not a criminal matter.

Decriminalisation of Economic Offences: Constitutional and Governance Rationale

The principle of decriminalising minor regulatory offences distinguishes between genuine criminal intent (mens rea) and technical or procedural lapses. Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty; prolonged criminal prosecution and the prospect of imprisonment for minor regulatory violations has been held by courts to create a "chilling effect" on legitimate business activity.

  • Mens rea principle: Criminal law requires guilty mind (intent); minor regulatory offences often involve no criminal intent — they are technical non-compliances, making criminalization disproportionate
  • NDA Government's regulatory reform trajectory: (a) Repeal and Amendment of obsolete laws — three separate Bills repealed ~1,500 obsolete central laws (2015-2023); (b) Jan Vishwas Acts 2023 and 2026; (c) BNS/BNSS/BSA (2023 criminal law reforms) — all part of legal modernisation
  • Impact on MSMEs: Small businesses and individual entrepreneurs face disproportionate risk from criminalised regulatory frameworks; decriminalisation reduces the compliance burden
  • State-level follow-through: Several states have enacted parallel decriminalisation measures (Rajasthan Guaranteed Delivery of Services Act, Maharashtra decriminalisation of minor offences, etc.)
  • OECD Framework on Regulatory Quality: India's decriminalisation effort aligns with OECD's Regulatory Impact Assessment recommendations for proportionate enforcement

Connection to this news: The 784-provision amendment represents a systematic exercise in proportionality — aligning penalties with the severity of the offence — a fundamental principle of administrative law and the rule of law that UPSC's GS2 paper directly tests.

Ease of Doing Business and India's Regulatory Reforms

India's effort to improve its regulatory environment has been a central economic governance priority. The World Bank's Doing Business Index (discontinued in 2021) measured India's improvement from rank 142 (2014) to rank 63 (2020). Beyond rankings, regulatory quality — reducing compliance burden, digitising processes, and removing outdated rules — affects real investment decisions, particularly for MSMEs.

  • Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Index: India's rank: 142 (2014) → 100 (2017) → 77 (2018) → 63 (2020); discontinued in 2021 due to methodology concerns; new framework under development
  • National Single Window System (NSWS): Single portal for business registrations and approvals across 32 central departments and 29 states
  • DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade): Nodal department for EoDB; coordinates state business reform rankings
  • State Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP): Annual ranking of states on 300+ reform parameters; Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been consistent toppers
  • PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan: Infrastructure-integrated approach to reduce logistics costs (India's logistics cost is ~13-14% of GDP vs ~8% in developed countries)
  • MSMEs: 63 million MSMEs contribute ~30% of GDP, ~50% of exports, and employ over 11 crore people; decriminalisation disproportionately benefits this sector

Connection to this news: The Jan Vishwas 2026 Bill is part of a multi-year, multi-pronged reform of India's regulatory and legal ecosystem; its direct benefit to MSMEs — the engine of employment — makes it a key policy instrument in the Viksit Bharat 2047 framework.

Key Facts & Data

  • Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: Amends 784 provisions across 79 Acts, 23 ministries
  • Provisions decriminalised: 717; provisions amended for ease of living: 67
  • Offences rationalised/removed: More than 1,000
  • Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 (predecessor): 183 provisions in 42 Acts, 19 ministries
  • India's Ease of Doing Business rank: 142 (2014) → 63 (2020) before index was discontinued
  • MSMEs: 63 million enterprises, ~30% of GDP, ~50% of exports, employ 11+ crore people
  • Bill passed by Lok Sabha by voice vote on April 1, 2026; Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal replied to debate
  • Regulatory reform trajectory: ~1,500 obsolete central laws repealed (2015-2023) + Jan Vishwas 2023 + Jan Vishwas 2026