What is the Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2026? All you need to know

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further improve the country’s business environment.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal replied to a discussion on the legislation. The minister said the legislation will help citizens and MSMEs. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Bill amends provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries, including coal, commerce and industry, shipping, urban development, and transport. Out of the 784 provisions, 717 are being amended for decriminalising minor offences, while 67 are aimed at facilitating ease of living.

The legislation seeks to rationalise more than 1000 offences by removing outdated and redundant provisions and improving the overall regulatory environment. It introduces a shift from criminal penalties for minor, technical, or procedural defaults to civil and administrative enforcement mechanisms.

Under the proposed changes, several provisions involving imprisonment are being replaced with monetary penalties or warnings. The Bill also introduces graded enforcement mechanisms, including warnings for first-time contraventions, and rationalises fines in proportion to the nature of the offence.

To ensure efficient and time-bound enforcement, the Bill provides for the appointment of adjudicating officers and the establishment of appellate authorities. These measures are intended to facilitate faster disposal of cases and reduce the litigation burden on courts while maintaining principles of natural justice.

The Bill also proposes 67 amendments under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, aimed at simplifying procedures and improving citizen convenience in areas such as municipal taxation and vehicle-related compliance.

The reforms are based on a consultative process that included inter-ministerial committee meetings, high-level committee discussions under NITI Aayog, and interactions with industry associations and civil society organisations. The Select Committee on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2025 held 49 sittings involving ministries, stakeholders, and subject-matter experts.

The committee, chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya, submitted its report to the Lok Sabha on 13th March 2026 and also examined additional provisions, recommending decriminalisation across 62 more Central Acts.

The present Bill builds on earlier reforms. The Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 had decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 ministries and departments. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 18th August 2025 and proposed amendments to 355 provisions across 16 Central Acts before being referred to a Select Committee.

The 2025 Bill was later withdrawn, and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha today. The legislation is aimed at promoting ease of doing business and ease of living while advancing a governance framework based on trust and proportionate regulation.