Jan Vishwas Bill withdrawn from Lok Sabha to incorporate select committee recommendations

The Bill was initially introduced to amend certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business, as reported by the Select Committee.

Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal had introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 in the lower house of Parliament during the monsoon session of Parliament in 2025.

"The endeavour is not only to make lives and businesses easier but also to reduce judicial burden. Settlement of a large number of issues, by compounding method, adjudication and administrative mechanism, without involving courts, will enable persons to remedy minor contraventions and defaults, sometimes committed unknowingly by them, and save time, energy and resources," the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill had read.

"The cornerstone of democratic governance lies in the Government trusting its own people and institutions. A web of outdated rules and regulations causes trust deficit. It has been the endeavour of the Government to achieve the principle of 'Minimum Government Maximum Governance', redefining the regulatory landscape of the country under the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business reforms," the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill further read.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendments of Provisions) Bill, 2025 is a continuation of the regulatory reforms started under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023.

The 2025 Bill, which has now been withdrawn, aimed to decriminalise minor offences across various laws to reduce the compliance burden on businesses, promote ease of doing business and ease of living for citizens by rationalising processes by issuing warnings at the first instance of contraventions and imposing penalties for subsequent contraventions. The amendments proposed under this Bill cover a wide range of laws affecting different sectors including agricultural and industrial regulations.

"The goal of Jan Vishwas is to create a more business-friendly environment and promote ease of living by eliminating unnecessary legal hurdles and simplifying regulatory landscape. The initiative underscores India's commitment to creating a predictable, transparent and fair regulatory environment," it further read. (ANI)