Prime Minister hails passage of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 by Parliament

1. At a Glance

• Omnibus decriminalisation law amending 80 (later 79) Central Acts across 23 Ministries to convert minor offences into civil/monetary penalties [S1][S2].
• Second-generation successor to the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 (which had amended 42 Acts); part of the "trust-based governance" push for Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living [S3][S1].
• Examinable for GS-II (governance, statutory reforms) and GS-III (regulatory environment, industrial growth).

2. Why in the News

• 2 April 2026: PM Modi hailed Parliament's passage of the Bill; passed by Lok Sabha on 1 April 2026 and Rajya Sabha on 2 April 2026 [S3][S2].
• Introduced in Lok Sabha on 27 March 2026 by MoS Commerce & Industry Shri Jitin Prasada [S1][S2].

3. Background & Evolution

• Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 — first iteration; amended 42 Central Acts, decriminalised 183 provisions across 19 ministries [S3].
• Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 introduced on 18 August 2025; covered only 17 Acts; referred to a Lok Sabha Select Committee chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya [S1].
• Select Committee report submitted 13 March 2026; recommended expansion to 65 additional Acts [S1].
• 2025 Bill withdrawn on 17 March 2026; replaced by the broader 2026 Bill [S1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce & Industry (DPIIT) [S1][S2].
• Acts amended: 79 Central Acts (final, per PIB) administered by 23 Ministries [S2].
• Provisions amended: 784 — of which 717 decriminalised (Ease of Doing Business) and 67 amended (Ease of Living) [S2].
• Total offences rationalised: over 1,000 [S2].
• Mechanism: replaces imprisonment/criminal fines with civil penalties, warnings, advisories, and adjudication officers; introduces automatic 10% revision of fines every 3 years [S1].
• Removed offences include false fire alarms and missing birth/death notifications; cosmetics manufacturing violation downgraded from up to 1-yr imprisonment + ₹20,000 fine to a civil penalty [S1].
• Also amends the New Delhi Municipal Council Act (property/advertisement tax) [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic / Regulatory - Reduces compliance burden on MSMEs and startups; intended to improve India's Ease of Doing Business ranking sentiment post-DBR discontinuation [S3]. - Frees judicial bandwidth — minor regulatory offences are diverted from criminal courts to adjudicating officers [S1].

Legal / Constitutional - Operates via the omnibus amendment technique — single Bill modifying numerous parent Acts; raises debate on legislative scrutiny depth [S1]. - Establishes adjudication mechanisms akin to SEBI/Companies Act models; appellate route built in [S1].

Governance / Administrative - Embodies "trust-based governance" doctrine — presumption of compliance over criminalisation [S3]. - Inter-ministerial coordination across 23 Ministries is a key implementation risk [S2].

Ethical - Critics flag risk that decriminalisation of public-health/safety provisions (food, drugs, environment) may dilute deterrence; offset by enhanced monetary penalties and periodic escalation [S1].

6. Recent Developments

• 18 Aug 2025: Jan Vishwas Bill 2025 introduced (17 Acts) [S1].
• 13 Mar 2026: Tejasvi Surya-led Select Committee submits report [S1].
• 17 Mar 2026: 2025 Bill withdrawn [S1].
• 27 Mar 2026: 2026 Bill introduced in Lok Sabha by Jitin Prasada [S2].
• 1 Apr 2026: Lok Sabha passes Bill [S1].
• 2 Apr 2026: Rajya Sabha passes Bill; PM tweets endorsement [S3][S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 introduced by Ministry of Commerce & Industry — not Law Ministry [S2].
• Amends 79 Central Acts spanning 23 Ministries [S2].
• 784 provisions amended; 717 decriminalised, 67 rationalised [S2].
• Predecessor Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 amended 42 Acts / 183 provisions [S3].
• Select Committee chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya (Lok Sabha) [S1].
• Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on 27 March 2026 [S2].
• Passed by Lok Sabha 1 April 2026, Rajya Sabha 2 April 2026 [S1].
• Introduces automatic 10% revision of monetary penalties every 3 years [S1].
• Amends the New Delhi Municipal Council Act provisions on property/advertisement tax [S1].
• Eliminates offences like false fire alarms and non-notification of births/deaths [S1].
• 2026 Bill replaces the withdrawn 2025 Bill (which covered only 17 Acts) [S1].
• Operates on the "trust-based governance" principle — Ease of Living + Ease of Doing Business [S3].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; statutory bodies — regulatory reform & decriminalisation.
• GS-III: Indian economy — issues relating to planning, growth, investment models; Industrial policy.
• Possible question stems: 1. "Decriminalisation of minor economic offences is a necessary but insufficient condition for improving Ease of Doing Business in India." Discuss with reference to the Jan Vishwas framework. 2. Examine how the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 reflects a shift from a command-and-control to a trust-based regulatory paradigm. What are the attendant risks? 3. Evaluate the use of omnibus legislation as a tool of regulatory reform in India.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 — direct predecessor; baseline for comparison.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 — parallel criminal-law overhaul.
• Companies Act, 2013 decriminalisation amendments (2019/2020) — model adopted here.
• Ease of Doing Business / B-READY Index (World Bank) — outcome metric.
• DPIIT Regulatory Reforms / Reducing Compliance Burden initiative — administrative parent.
• SEBI adjudication mechanism — template for civil-penalty regime.
• NDMC Act / Municipal taxation — also amended.
• Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, 2014 — process angle.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong ministry: nodal is Commerce & Industry (DPIIT), not Ministry of Law & Justice or MHA.
• Confusing the 2023 Act (42 Acts/183 provisions) with the 2026 Bill (79 Acts/784 provisions).
• Believing it abolishes all penalties — it replaces criminal with civil/monetary penalties.
• Mixing up the 2025 Bill (17 Acts, withdrawn) with the 2026 Bill (79 Acts, enacted).
• Attributing Select Committee chairmanship incorrectly — it was Tejasvi Surya (Lok Sabha), not a Rajya Sabha committee.

11. Sources

• [S1] The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 — https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-jan-vishwas-amendment-of-provisions-bill-2026 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 introduced in Lok Sabha — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2246226 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] PM hails passage of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2248716 — (tier: 1)