Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 Expands India’s Trust-based Legal Reform Across 79 Central Acts

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 marks a major expansion of India’s effort to reshape the relationship between the citizen, the enterprise, and the regulatory state. The Bill proposes amendments across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries and covers 784 provisions, including 717 decriminalisation-related changes and 67 measures aimed at ease of living. At its core, the reform seeks to move large parts of India’s legal framework away from prison-oriented punishment for minor procedural lapses and toward civil penalties, administrative remedies, and proportionate enforcement.

This proposed law grows out of a reform journey that began with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which amended 42 Central Acts and decriminalised 183 provisions. The next phase arrived in the Lok Sabha on 18 August 2025 through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, which originally covered 16 Central Acts, 10 Ministries, and 355 provisions. A Select Committee of Parliament then examined the draft through 49 sittings and submitted its report on 13 March 2026. Following that exercise and wider consultations with ministries and departments, the scope widened sharply, giving the 2026 Bill a broader national reach and a stronger institutional foundation.

The architecture of the Bill rests on four policy pillars. The first is warning before punishment, where first-time and minor lapses invite advisory action or warnings. The second is proportionate penalties, linking enforcement to the gravity of the lapse. The third is faster and fairer resolution through adjudicating officers and appellate authorities, which can ease pressure on courts while improving transparency. The fourth is a dynamic penalty framework, allowing periodic revision so that enforcement remains relevant as economic conditions and regulatory realities evolve. Together, these pillars reflect a deliberate policy shift from rigid legal command toward compliance-oriented governance.

For ordinary citizens, the Bill could make day-to-day interactions with the law less punitive and more practical. Under the Railways Act, 1989, refusal to vacate a reserved berth moves into a civil penalty framework of up to ₹1,000. Under the Calcutta Metro Railway Act, 1985, smoking in a metro carriage or underground station becomes a civil penalty of ₹2,000. Under the Clinical Establishments Act, 2010, minor deficiencies in healthcare facilities move into a civil penalty structure of up to ₹10,000, creating room for timely correction. Under the Court Fees Act, 1870, routine rule-related contraventions also move away from imprisonment-based treatment and into a monetary penalty approach. These examples show the practical direction of the Bill: quicker resolution, lighter legal friction, and a clearer distinction between serious wrongdoing and minor procedural error.

The Bill also carries a strong ease-of-living dimension. Under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, unlawful use of public water shifts to a fixed civil penalty of ₹1,000. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, driving licences gain a 30-day grace period after expiry, which gives citizens a reasonable renewal window. In the NDMC area, property taxation is set to move fully to the Unit Area Method, bringing uniformity to a system that previously operated through two parallel valuation methods. Accident victims and their families receive greater procedural space as Claims Tribunals can entertain applications up to twelve months beyond the prescribed period on sufficient cause. A Delhi Police Act provision rooted in suspicion-based night-time presence also exits the legal framework, aligning policing more closely with liberty, intent, and evidence. Fare evasion or refusal to produce a ticket under the Motor Vehicles Act similarly shifts into a civil-violation model with penalties up to ₹500.

For businesses, the Bill is designed to reduce compliance anxiety and improve the predictability of enforcement. Under the Central Silk Board Act, 1948, incorrect information or failure to produce records moves to a graded structure featuring warnings for the first contravention and monetary penalties for repeated breaches. Under the Tea Act, 1953, return-filing lapses enter a similar warning-led framework. Under the Copyright Act, 1957, the provision dealing with false entries in the Register of Copyrights undergoes reform in a way that shields creators from criminal exposure over administrative and paperwork issues. In the export ecosystem, the APEDA Act, 1985 adopts a warning-and-penalty structure for procedural defaults such as failure to furnish returns, giving exporters time to correct genuine mistakes. The Coir Industry Act, 1953 also sees the removal of an obsolete licensing-linked provision, helping reduce legacy compliance burdens on small exporters.

MSMEs stand to gain in especially meaningful ways because the Bill recognizes the realities of smaller enterprises, which often face heavy pressure from paperwork-heavy compliance systems. Under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, the first lapse in maintaining or producing records can trigger an improvement notice, giving businesses a corrective pathway. Under the Private Security Agencies Act, 2005, the provision concerning display of licence at business premises is removed from the criminal-liability route. Under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, publishers gain the benefit of a warning mechanism for procedural delays in deposit obligations. Under the MMDR Act, 1957, imprisonment-linked treatment gives way to a monetary penalty of up to ₹50 lakh, bringing a more calibrated structure to rule contraventions in the mining and minerals space.

What emerges from the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026 is a broader philosophy of governance built on trust, proportionality, and administrative efficiency. The proposed law treats compliance as something that can be encouraged through warnings, graded responses, and civil remedies, while preserving stronger consequences for serious violations. In policy terms, the Bill aims to make India’s legal environment more humane for citizens, more workable for businesses, and more aligned with the goals of ease of living and ease of doing business.

Reference:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2248925&reg=3&lang=1
https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2026/apr/doc202644839301.pdf