**Executive Summary**
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, has been passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to enhance the "Ease of Doing Business" and "Ease of Living" in India. The Bill aims to reduce compliance burdens and foster trust-based governance by decriminalizing minor offences and rationalizing 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts. Key milestones included the Bill’s initial introduction on 18 August 2025 and the submission of a Select Committee report on 13 March 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legislative Scope and Scale**
* Amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 different Ministries.
* Rationalizes more than 1,000 offences by removing minor infractions from the legal framework.
* Expanded significantly from its original 2025 draft, which initially proposed amendments to only 355 provisions across 16 Acts.
* **Decriminalization and Regulatory Reform**
* Decriminalizes 717 provisions to improve the regulatory environment for businesses.
* Amends 67 provisions specifically to facilitate "Ease of Living" for citizens.
* Implements a "proportionate regulation" model to ensure legal penalties match the severity of the act.
* **Select Committee Contributions**
* The Bill underwent 49 sittings by a Select Committee chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya.
* Following extensive stakeholder consultations, the Committee recommended decriminalization across an additional 62 Central Acts beyond those originally identified.
**Impact Analysis**
**Businesses and Individuals**
**Impact**
They will benefit from a reduced compliance burden and a more conducive ecosystem. The removal of criminal penalties for minor offences transitions the regulatory environment toward a trust-based governance framework.
**Action Required**
Stakeholders should identify which of the 1,000 rationalized offences apply to their operations to ensure they are aligned with the updated, decriminalized legal provisions.
**Government Ministries and Departments (23 involved)**
**Impact**
Ministries are now responsible for administering Acts that have been rationalized to ensure proportionate regulation.
**Action Required**
Ministries must implement the amended provisions within their respective jurisdictions and adjust enforcement frameworks to reflect the shift away from criminalizing minor offences.
Key Entities Referenced
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: A legislative bill passed by Parliament to decriminalize minor offences across 79 Central Acts to enhance Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry: The primary ministry responsible for the introduction and administration of the Jan Vishwas Bill.
Select Committee of the Lok Sabha: The parliamentary committee that extensively reviewed the bill, conducted stakeholder consultations, and recommended the expansion of its scope.
Shri Tejasvi Surya: Chairman of the Select Committee of the Lok Sabha who led the review and submission of the report on the bill.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Pass Jan Vishwas
(Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026
784 Provisions of 79 Central Acts Amended, 717 Provisions
Decriminalised, 67 Provision Amended to Promote Ease of
Living
Posted On: 02 APR 2026 7:51PM by PIB Delhi
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 has been passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
marking a significant step towards further enhancing Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living in the
country.
The Bill reflects the Government’s commitment to fostering a trust-based governance framework and
ensuring proportionate regulation. It seeks to reduce the compliance burden on individuals and businesses
by decriminalising minor offences and rationalising existing legal provisions.
As per the provisions of the Bill, 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries
have been amended. Of these, 717 provisions have been decriminalised to promote Ease of Doing
Business, while 67 provisions have been amended to facilitate Ease of Living.
Overall, the Bill seeks to rationalise more than 1,000 offences by removing minor offences, thereby
improving the overall regulatory environment and enabling a more conducive ecosystem for businesses
and citizens alike.
The Bill was initially introduced in the Lok Sabha on 18 August 2025 as the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of
Provisions) Bill, 2025. It proposed amendments to 355 provisions across 16 Central Acts administered by
10 Ministries/Departments and was subsequently referred to a Select Committee of the Lok Sabha. The
Select Committee, chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya, held 49 sittings and submitted its report on 13 March
2026. The Committee undertook extensive stakeholder consultations and, in addition to the provisions
under consideration, examined further provisions within the same Acts and recommended
decriminalisation across 62 additional Central Acts.
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Abhishek Dayal/ Garima Singh/ Ishita Biswas
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