Parliament passes Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026

The Parliament of India has passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026. The Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha on 27th March, and later passed on 1st April, 2026. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2026. Once assented to by the President of India, the Bill will become an Act and shall come into force as and when notified. 

The 340-paged Bill document seeks to amend 79 Central Acts enacted between 1870 and 2025. The primary purpose of the Bill is to decriminalize minor offences and replace the fear of imprisonment with monetary penalties. The Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill also seeks to streamline how violations are handled, moving many cases away from courts and into an administrative adjudication process. It is being portrayed as a step towards further enhancing Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living in the country. 

79 Acts Being Amended

The Acts span a wide range of sectors, from very old colonial-era laws to recent legislation. Some notable ones include: 

• The Court-fees Act, 1870: Minor stamp-selling violations decriminalised.
• The Cattle-trespass Act, 1871: Penalties restructured, criminal fines replaced.
• The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: Some imprisonment provisions removed.
• The Copyright Act, 1957: Section 67 (a penalty provision) is completely omitted.
• The Patents Act, 1970: Changes to the penalties chapter.
• The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: 20 provisions amended, including on driving licences, accident compensation, and general offences.
• The Railways Act, 1989: 47 provisions addressed.
• The New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994: 47 provisions amended relating to property tax and local governance.
• The Electricity Act, 2003: Offences related to theft and meter interference converted to penalty-based.
• The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: Penalty structure revised.
• The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016: Provisions rationalised.
• The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 and The Indian Ports Act, 2025: Some of the most recently enacted laws are also included.

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: Key Observations

• Continuity with 2023 reforms: This is clearly positioned as the second wave of the same policy started in 2023. The 2025 Bill was examined by a Select Committee, which also expanded its scope.
• Shift from criminal to civil/administrative framework: The most significant legal shift is moving minor violations out of the criminal justice system. Violations that were "offences" triable by a court now become "contraventions" handled by an officer of the executive government.
• Compounding of offences: Several Acts now allow certain violations to be compounded — meaning a person can pay a specified sum and avoid prosecution or further proceedings. This is provided for in Acts like the Electricity Act, Motor Vehicles Act, and Merchant Shipping Act.
• Alignment with new criminal laws: Several Acts updated in this Bill also replace references to the old Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure with the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, reflecting the broader legal reform already underway.
• No blanket decriminalisation: It is important to note that serious offences involving fraud, dishonest intent, or significant harm are not decriminalised. For example, under the Court-fees Act, the Bill retains imprisonment for stamp-selling fraud with "fraudulent intent", while removing imprisonment only for technical violations committed without any fraudulent intent.