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.
