Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025

Context:

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha, expanding the scope of decriminalisation to promote ease of doing business and ease of living.

Jan Vishwas Initiative

The Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 was the first consolidated legislation to decriminalise minor offences across multiple Acts.
It decriminalised183 provisions in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments.

Salient Features of the 2025 Bill

Covers 16 Central Acts under 10 Ministries/Departments.
Proposes 355 amendments, including 288 decriminalisations and 67 amendments for ease of living.
Replaces imprisonment for technical or procedural defaults with monetary penalties or warnings.

Penalty and Enforcement Mechanisms

First-time contraventions: Only advisory or warning for 76 offences.
Graduated penalties: Higher fines for repeated violations.
Adjudication mechanism: Designated officers empowered to impose penalties, reducing judicial burden.
Automatic penalty revision: Fines to increase by 10% every three years.

Acts Under Focus

Further amendments proposed in Tea Act, 1953; Legal Metrology Act, 2009; Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, all previously covered under Jan Vishwas Act, 2023.
Ease of Living focus includes NDMC Act, 1994 and Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.