UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026

Q1. Which one of the following was the FIRST omnibus decriminalisation law enacted in India to amend multiple Central Acts through a single statute, of which the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 is the successor?

  • A. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023
  • B. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025
  • C. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026
  • D. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Ordinance, 2022

Q2. With reference to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The 2023 Act amended provisions in Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments. 2. The 2026 Bill covers Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries. 3. The 2026 Bill decriminalises fewer provisions than the number decriminalised by the 2023 Act. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2023 Act amended provisions in Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments.
  2. The 2026 Bill covers Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries.
  3. The 2026 Bill decriminalises fewer provisions than the number decriminalised by the 2023 Act.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was piloted through Parliament by which one of the following as the nodal department steering it?

  • A. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
  • B. Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
  • D. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Q4. On which one of the following dates was the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 passed by the Lok Sabha?

  • A. 1 April 2026
  • B. 27 March 2026
  • C. 2 April 2026
  • D. 13 March 2026

Q5. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 was referred to a 'Select Committee'. In parliamentary practice, a Select Committee is best defined as:

  • A. An ad hoc committee constituted to examine one particular Bill, comprising members of the House to which the Bill was referred, and dissolved once it submits its report
  • B. A permanent departmentally-related standing committee that examines the demands for grants of a ministry every year
  • C. A committee that always draws its members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in a 2:1 ratio
  • D. A committee of the Union Cabinet set up to redraft Bills before their introduction in Parliament

Q6. The Select Committee chaired by Tejasvi Surya that examined the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 recommended bringing in how many additional Central Acts beyond those already covered by that Bill?

  • A. 65
  • B. 17
  • C. 42
  • D. 79

Q7. In the context of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, what does the abbreviation 'DPIIT' stand for?

  • A. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • B. Department for Production of Industry and International Trade
  • C. Directorate for Promotion of Industrial and Internal Trade
  • D. Department for Planning of Industry and Internal Trade

Q8. The nodal department DPIIT, which steered the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, functions under which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Finance
  • D. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Q9. Consider the following as stated objectives / guiding philosophy of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: 1. Shifting from mistrust-based regulation to trust-based governance. 2. Reducing the compliance burden on MSMEs and citizens. 3. Advancing the 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance' agenda. 4. Expanding the use of imprisonment as the primary penalty for minor procedural lapses. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as an objective of the Bill?

  1. Shifting from mistrust-based regulation to trust-based governance.
  2. Reducing the compliance burden on MSMEs and citizens.
  3. Advancing the 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance' agenda.
  4. Expanding the use of imprisonment as the primary penalty for minor procedural lapses.
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 only

Q10. Of the 784 provisions covered by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, how many are classified as 'Ease of Living' changes (as distinct from the Ease of Doing Business decriminalisations)?

  • A. 67
  • B. 717
  • C. 183
  • D. 784

Q11. In the framework of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, 'decriminalisation' of a minor procedural offence most precisely means:

  • A. Replacing imprisonment and/or criminal fine with a civil or administrative penalty, while the conduct remains a regulated wrong
  • B. Making the underlying act fully legal so that it is no longer a regulated wrong of any kind
  • C. Completely removing every form of penalty, monetary or otherwise, for the offence
  • D. Transferring the prosecution of the offence to dedicated fast-track criminal courts

Q12. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 — the predecessor to the 2026 Bill — is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An omnibus law that amended 42 Central Acts through a single statute to decriminalise 183 provisions
  • B. A constitutional amendment inserting a new fundamental right against criminal prosecution for business lapses
  • C. A single-Act amendment confined to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
  • D. A model law circulated to States for adoption in their own legislatures