New Delhi: The Centre on Friday introduced the second edition of the Jan Vishwas Bill in the Lok Sabha, aimed at decriminalising minor offences and improving ease of doing business and living.

Introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, the bill proposes to amend 79 central acts administered by 23 ministries. In total, 784 provisions are set to be amended, of which 717 will be decriminalised and 67 modified to ease compliance for citizens.

The bill seeks to reduce the compliance burden on businesses by replacing criminal penalties for minor, procedural violations with fines or penalties.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, it aims to promote ease of doing business and living by rationalising processes, including issuing warnings for first-time violations and penalties for repeat offences.

Prasada defended the move, stating, "These are not under this purview. So, these are all minor offences that have been done away with."

What changes are proposed in the Motor Vehicles Act?

A key highlight of the bill is the set of relaxations under the Motor Vehicles Act.

These include:

  • A 30-day grace period after the expiry of a driving licence, during which it will remain valid
  • Allowing vehicle registration across the state, instead of a specific jurisdiction
  • Renewal of driving licences from the date of renewal, even if applied after expiry

Extending timelines for compliance, such as reporting cancellation of registration and insurance updates from 14 days to 30 days

What other laws will be amended?

The bill proposes changes across a wide range of laws, including:

  • RBI Act, 1934
  • Insurance Acts
  • Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act
  • Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
  • Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
  • Electricity Act
  • Railways Act
  • Delhi Police Act

It also includes 67 amendments under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, and the Motor Vehicles Act to improve ease of living.

What objections did the Opposition raise?

Congress members K Kavya and GK Padavi opposed the bill at the introduction stage, arguing that replacing imprisonment with fines could weaken legal accountability.

Padavi said, "This is an administrative oversight...the Bill is arbitrary and encourages corruption, and it should be reexamined," and urged that it be sent back to a parliamentary panel.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that there is no provision or precedent for resending the bill to a committee at this stage.

Responding to the objections, Prasada said the bill only targets minor, procedural offences and does not dilute serious violations.

He said, "Major violations and serious offences have not been diluted in any manner," adding that sensitive areas such as national security, labour courts, armed forces, and international obligations have been kept out of its scope.

He also noted that extensive consultations had been held before finalising the bill and that Parliament has the authority to amend laws.

What changes are proposed in penalties?

The bill outlines several changes to penalties:

  • Removal of imprisonment in 57 provisions
  • Removal of fines in 158 provisions
  • Reduction of imprisonment in 17 provisions
  • Conversion of imprisonment and fines into penalties in 113 provisions

The current bill builds on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central acts.

The earlier version of the bill, introduced in 2025, was referred to a select committee. The present version has been reintroduced after incorporating its recommendations.