The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, also called Jan Vishwas 2.0, was recently introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Bill builds upon the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which had decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 Acts. The 2025 Bill proposes to amend 16 Central Acts, covering 355 provisions—with 288 decriminalised and 67 rationalised—to promote ease of living and ease of doing business.
Why Jan Vishwas 2.0?
- Overcriminalisation: India has 7,305 offences under central laws, many unrelated to core criminal justice (e.g., shipping, taxation, municipal rules).
- Disproportionate punishments: Minor lapses, like milking a cow on the street, could invite jail time.
- Business hurdles: Over 50% of business laws carry imprisonment clauses, deterring investment and entrepreneurship.
- Judicial burden: Over 3.6 crore criminal cases clog courts, many for trivial procedural violations.
Key Features of the Bill
- First-time offenders: Introduces warning and improvement notices for 76 offences.
- No jail for minor defaults: Replaces imprisonment with monetary fines (₹10,000 – ₹10 lakh).
- Rationalised penalties: Automatic 10% increase in fines every 3 years to maintain deterrence.
- Acts covered: Includes the RBI Act 1934, Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940, Electricity Act 2003, MSME Act 2006, Motor Vehicles Act 1988, and more.
Government’s Rationale
- Strengthens “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”.
- Supports Ease of Doing Business and judicial reforms.
- Reduces pendency of minor cases in courts.
- Enhances trust between citizens and the state, making India a more investment-friendly economy.
The Bill has been referred to a Select Committee of Lok Sabha, and its report is awaited. If passed, Jan Vishwas 2.0 could significantly cut down legal harassment for minor infractions and boost India’s reform agenda.
