Jan Vishwas 2.0: Govt moves to decriminalise 717 provisions, boost ease of doing business

New Delhi: In a major decriminalisation push, the government on Friday introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, seeking to scrap criminal penalties in 717 provisions across 79 Central Acts to boost ease of doing business.

The Bill, tabled by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, incorporates select committee recommendations and aims to promote trust-based governance by rationalising minor offences.

It proposes replacing criminal penalties with a graded framework-warnings for first-time violations and monetary penalties for repeat offences-while simplifying compliance and improving regulatory predictability, according to the statement of objects and reasons.


Opposing the move, Congress MPs K Kavya and G K Padavi flagged constitutional concerns, with Padavi urging that the Bill be sent back to a parliamentary panel. He termed it "arbitrary" and said it could encourage corruption, noting a dissent had been recorded in the select committee report.

Defending the Bill, Prasada said it follows extensive consultations and targets only minor offences. He said it seeks to make penalties proportionate and introduce appellate mechanisms to improve ease of living and business. The Bill proposes amendments to 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries, covering 784 provisions-of which 717 are to be decriminalised and 67 amended to facilitate ease of living.