INTRODUCTION
The increasing criminalization of regulatory defaults has long been criticized as a structural impediment to effective governance and ease of living in India. In this context, the Government of India introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha in August 2025, proposing amendments to a wide range of Central legislations governing regulatory compliance. Popularly referred to as ‘Jan Vishwas 2.0’, the Bill seeks to decriminalize minor procedural offences and substitute them with proportionate civil penalties, thereby promoting a compliance-based rather than punishment-oriented legal regime.[1]
This legislative initiative is not merely administrative in nature; rather, it reflects a deeper philosophical shift in the understanding of criminal liability in regulatory frameworks. The Bill aims to streamline enforcement, reduce judicial burden, and promote citizen-friendly governance, while simultaneously preserving accountability mechanisms.[2]
Legislative Background and Policy Rationale
The Jan Vishwas reform agenda originated with the enactment of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which amended 42 Central Acts and decriminalised 183 provisions involving minor technical defaults.[3] However, post-implementation assessments revealed that a significant number of procedural offences across sectoral legislations continued to attract imprisonment, thereby perpetuating regulatory anxiety among citizens and businesses alike.[4]
By 2025, policy discourse increasingly favoured restricting criminal sanctions to offences involving moral culpability or public harm, rather than administrative lapses. Legal scholars have consistently argued that criminal law should function as an instrument of last resort, particularly within regulatory statutes. The Bill thus emerges as an extension of India’s broader economic and governance reforms seeking to modernise compliance mechanisms while safeguarding due process.[5]
Major Provisions of the Bill
The Bill proposes amendments to approximately 355 provisions across 16 Central Acts, out of which 288 offences are sought to be decriminalised. The central technique employed is the substitution of imprisonment clauses with monetary penalties or administrative enforcement mechanisms. The amendments affect legislation administered by diverse ministries, including those governing labour, environment, transport, and urban regulation.
A notable innovation is the introduction of advisory mechanisms for first-time violations. For 76 contraventions across ten statutes, regulatory authorities may issue warning notices instead of imposing penalties, thereby encouraging voluntary compliance.[6] This approach aligns with responsive regulation theory, which emphasizes corrective engagement prior to punitive escalation.
Furthermore, the Bill introduces automatic enhancement of penalties by ten per cent every three years, thereby ensuring that deterrence remains effective without requiring frequent legislative amendments. This mechanism attempts to balance predictability with inflation-adjusted enforcement.
Another significant reform lies in the shift of adjudicatory responsibility from criminal courts to designated administrative officers. Such decentralised adjudication aims to reduce litigation backlog and promote faster dispute resolution. However, appellate safeguards remain essential to prevent administrative arbitrariness and preserve constitutional remedies.
Impact on Legal System and Governance
The proposed decriminalisation is expected to substantially reduce the inflow of minor regulatory cases into criminal courts, which currently contribute significantly to judicial pendency. By removing procedural offences from the criminal docket, courts may reallocate institutional capacity toward adjudicating serious crimes and constitutional matters.
From a governance perspective, the Bill strengthens regulatory agencies by granting them proportionate enforcement powers while simultaneously imposing greater responsibility for procedural fairness. This transition reflects a movement from adversarial enforcement to cooperative compliance models prevalent in several developed jurisdictions.
Economically, the Bill has implications for business confidence, particularly among micro, small, and medium enterprises. The elimination of custodial threats for minor defaults mitigates the risk of harassment and improves regulatory predictability, which is essential for sustained economic participation.
Socially, the introduction of warning-based compliance mechanisms reinforces the normative principle that the state should facilitate lawful conduct rather than criminalise inadvertent lapses. This shift enhances trust between citizens and administrative authorities, a critical component of effective governance.
Scholarly Perspectives and Expert Commentary
Policy analysts have described Jan Vishwas 2.0 as a landmark regulatory reform aligning Indian statutory frameworks with global best practices of proportionality and regulatory efficiency.[7] Commentators have emphasised that regulatory offences historically served administrative objectives and were not intended to invoke penal consequences.
However, concerns remain regarding the capacity of regulatory institutions to implement adjudicatory responsibilities with procedural integrity. Scholars caution that without adequate training and transparent appeal mechanisms, administrative adjudication may risk concentration of discretion.[8] These apprehensions underscore the importance of continuous institutional monitoring and judicial oversight.
Conclusion
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2025, represents a decisive move toward rationalising India’s regulatory enforcement architecture. By recalibrating the role of criminal law in administrative governance, the Bill strengthens proportionality, enhances compliance incentives, and promotes judicial efficiency. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the reform will depend upon institutional preparedness, accountability safeguards, and citizen awareness.
In addition to the above, from a broader legal and policy perspective, the Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill,2025, marks a significant reorientation of India’s regulatory philosophy by consciously limiting the use of criminal law for minor and technical non- compliance. By submitting imprisonment with civil and administrative penalties, the legislation affirms that criminal sanctions should be reserved for conduct involving serious harm, fraud, or deliberate wrongdoing. This approach strengthens the moral authority of criminal law while simultaneously promoting voluntary compliance with regulatory frameworks. If implemented with transparency and procedural fairness, the Bill has the potential to serve as a model for future regulatory modernisation in India, balancing economic development with rule of law principles.
Author(s) Name: Shreya Singh (Vedanta LAW College)
References:
[1] Press Trust of India, `Govt. introduces Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill 2025 in LS, sent to Committee’ Business Standard, < https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/govt-introduces-jan-vishwas-amendment-bill-2025-in-ls-sent-to-committee-125081800386_1.html > accessed 18 January 2026.
[2] Vision IAS, `Jan Vishwas 2.0: Why Centre’s bill to amend 355 provisions across 16 laws matters’< https://visionias.in/current-affairs/upsc-daily-news-summary/article/2025-08-25/the-indian-express/polity-and-governance/jan-vishwas-20-why-centres-bill-to-amend-355-provisions-across-16-laws-matters> accessed 18 January 2026.
[3] Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act 2023.
[4] The Indian Express, ‘Why decriminalizing minor regulatory offences matters’(2025) < https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/jan-vishwas-centre-bill-decriminalise-10208238/> accessed 18 January 2026.
[5] Dhyeya IAS, ‘Jan Vishwas Bill 2025: Legal Modernization and Over-Criminalization’ (2025) < https://www.dhyeyaias.com/current-affairs/daily-current-affairs/jan-vishwas-bill-2025-legal-modernisation-india-over-criminalisation> accessed 18 January 2026.
[6] NDTV Profit, ‘ Jan Vishwash Amendment Bill 2025 tabled in Lok Sabha aims to decriminalize minor offences’ (2025) < https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/jan-vishwas-bill-20-to-be-tabled-in-lok-sabha-today-9105423 > accessed 18 January 2026.
[7] ET Government, ‘Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0: Landmark shift in regulatory framework’ (2025) < https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/governance/jan-vishwas-bill-20-a-landmark-shift-in-indias-regulatory-framework/123380221> accessed 18 January 2026.
[8] PRS Legislative Research, the Jan Vishwas (amendment of provisions) bill(2025) < https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-jan-vishwas-amendment-of-provisions-bill-2025> accessed 18 January 2026.
