**Executive Summary**
The Government of India has operationalised reforms under the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, to rationalise minor offences within the Drugs, Cosmetics, and Food Safety sectors. Effective from 26 June 2026, these amendments aim to promote the Ease of Doing Business by decriminalising technical violations and replacing criminal proceedings with administrative penalties. The reforms establish a more transparent regulatory ecosystem while maintaining strict safeguards for serious public health threats.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**General Regulatory Shift**
* **Decriminalisation:** Minor and technical violations have been shifted from criminal proceedings to an administrative penalty framework.
* **Proportionate Enforcement:** The reforms distinguish between procedural non-compliances and serious offences (such as spurious or adulterated products) which continue to attract strict penal provisions.
* **Streamlined Implementation:** New provisions for the appointment of Adjudicating Authorities and an Appeal Mechanism have been introduced to ensure timely and transparent disposal of cases.
**Amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940**
* **Section 29 Omission:** The penalty for using a Government Analyst's report for advertising drugs or cosmetics has been removed.
* **Section 28A Conversion:** Violations related to procedural requirements, such as record maintenance and information submission, are now subject to administrative penalties rather than criminal prosecution.
* **Low-Risk Cosmetics:** Violations involving minor quality parameters or labelling errors in cosmetics are now handled through administrative penalties.
**Amendments to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006**
* **Rationalised Punishments:** The maximum imprisonment for interfering with seized items has been reduced from six months to three months.
* **False Complaints:** Court fines for filing false complaints against Food Safety Officers (FSOs) have been converted into administrative penalties.
* **Legal Streamlining:** Provisions regarding the obstruction of FSOs have been omitted from the Act to avoid duplication with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
**Impact Analysis**
**Businesses (Drug, Cosmetic, and Food Manufacturers/Sellers)**
**Impact**
Businesses will experience a reduced compliance burden and lower risk of criminal prosecution for minor technical or clerical errors. The shift to administrative penalties fosters a more trust-based and business-friendly environment.
**Action Required**
Entities must ensure strict adherence to record-keeping and procedural requirements to avoid administrative fines and familiarise themselves with the new Appeal Mechanism for case resolutions.
**Regulatory and Adjudicating Authorities**
**Impact**
The Ministry and health departments must transition from a court-centric enforcement model to an administrative one. This necessitates the creation of internal infrastructure for adjudication.
**Action Required**
The government must appoint Adjudicating Authorities and establish the necessary Appeal Mechanisms to facilitate the transparent disposal of contraventions.
**Consumers and the General Public**
**Impact**
Public health safeguards remain intact as the law continues to strictly punish the manufacture and sale of spurious or adulterated products. The efficiency of regulatory enforcement is expected to improve through faster administrative disposals.
**Action Required**
No specific action is required, though the public remains protected by the retention of strict penal provisions for high-risk safety violations.
Key Entities Referenced
Jan Vishwas Act, 2026: The primary legislation used to decriminalise minor violations and replace criminal proceedings with administrative penalties in the health sector.
Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: A key law regulating medical products, amended to rationalise penalties for procedural non-compliances and low-risk cosmetic violations.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The regulatory framework for food safety, modified to convert court-imposed fines into administrative penalties for specific contraventions.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The central government department responsible for operationalising these reforms to balance regulatory efficiency with public health safeguards.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): The legal code referenced to streamline enforcement by avoiding duplication of provisions regarding the obstruction of Food Safety Officers.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Government Operationalises Jan Vishwas Act
Reforms in Health Sector; Rationalises Minor
Offences under Drugs, Cosmetics and Food
Safety Laws
Reforms aimed at promoting Ease of Doing Business while
maintaining stringent safeguards for public health and
consumer safety
प्रव तथ: 26 JUN 2026 12:39PM by PIB Delhi
The Government of India has operationalised key reforms under the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026 relating to the
Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the objective of
enhancing trust-based governance, reducing compliance burden for businesses, and ensuring proportionate
regulatory enforcement without compromising public health safeguards.
The amendments seek to decriminalise certain minor and technical violations and replace criminal
proceedings with administrative penalties, thereby promoting ease of doing business and improving
regulatory efficiency. At the same time, stringent provisions against offences that pose risks to public
health and consumer safety continue to remain in force.
As part of the reforms, Section 29 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which prescribed a penalty of up
to ₹1 lakh for the use of a Government Analyst's report for advertising any drug or cosmetic, has been
omitted.
Further, violations relating to the manufacture or sale of low-risk cosmetics have been brought under an
administrative penalty framework. These include cases where a cosmetic product fails to comply with
minor quality parameters or contains labelling deficiencies and errors. However, offences involving
spurious or adulterated cosmetics, which have a direct bearing on consumer safety, continue to attract
strict penal provisions under the Act.
The amendments have also converted violations under Section 28A, which primarily relate to procedural
and compliance requirements such as maintenance of records and submission of information, into
administrative penalties.
To facilitate effective implementation of the new framework, provisions relating to the appointment of
Adjudicating Authorities and an Appeal Mechanism have been introduced, enabling timely and transparent
disposal of cases involving such contraventions.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, provisions relating to the imposition of court fines in
cases involving false complaints against Food Safety Officers have been converted into an administrative
penalty mechanism.The punishment for interfering with seized items has been rationalised, with the term of imprisonment
reduced from six months to three months.
Further, the provision relating to obstructing or resisting a Food Safety Officer has been omitted from the
Food Safety and Standards Act, as such offences are already adequately covered under the provisions of
the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), thereby avoiding duplication in the legal framework.
The reforms introduced through the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, reflect the Government's commitment to
fostering a modern, transparent and trust-based regulatory ecosystem. By distinguishing between technical
or procedural non-compliances and serious public health offences, the amendments seek to ensure
proportionate enforcement while preserving the integrity of India's food and drug regulatory framework.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare remains committed to safeguarding public health through
robust regulation, while simultaneously reducing unnecessary compliance burdens and facilitating a more
efficient and business-friendly regulatory environment.
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SR
HFW/ Jan Vishwas Act notifies amendments /26 June 2026/3
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