Indian Parliament Passes Jan Vishwas Bill to Decriminalize Minor Offenses

The Indian Parliament passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, with the Lok Sabha clearing the measure on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha approving it via voice vote on April 2. The legislation amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries, including the Motor Vehicles Act and the New Delhi Municipal Council Act. By decriminalizing 717 provisions and rationalizing over 1,000 offenses, the bill replaces imprisonment for minor procedural or technical defaults with monetary penalties and administrative warnings.

Narendra Modi described the legislation as a shift toward a trust-based framework and a boost to the ease of living and doing business. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized a graded approach to enforcement, noting that while minor infractions are now civil matters, severe crimes—such as the sale of spurious drugs—remain subject to criminal prosecution. The bill also establishes Adjudicating Officers and Appellate Authorities to divert cases from the judiciary, potentially reviewing approximately five crore pending minor offense cases.

The bill followed a consultative process involving industry associations and a Select Committee. While Government officials praised the move as a realization of a New India, opposition members from Congress and the AITC criticized the bill, suggesting that replacing jail time with fines could reduce accountability. Following the vote, the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to reconvene on April 16 to debate amendments to the Women's Reservation Act, 2023.