The Centre on Friday tabled the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha after a House Select Committee reviewed an earlier version of the bill introduced last August.
The revised bill called for changes to provisions in about 80 laws, including the Indian Ports Act and Merchant Shipping Act, both introduced in 2025, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Delhi Police Act, 1978, and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, among others.
“Through this bill, apart from decriminalizing several offences across various enactments, 20 additional provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and 47 provisions of the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, are proposed to be amended to facilitate ease of living, which will serve as a significant step in saving time and cost of all,” said the bill’s statement of objects and reasons.
The proposed law also introduces a provision for an automatic 10% increase in fines and penalties every three years to maintain deterrence without requiring fresh legislative amendments.
The bill has retained key provisions from its earlier August 2025 iteration. The 2026 bill proposes to increase the penalty for not keeping a dog on a leash in public, grant a 30-day grace period after licence expiry, and ease vehicle registration rules under the Motor Vehicles Act—all retained from the earlier proposal.
However, some provisions have been removed in the new bill. The earlier August 2025 bill had proposed removing section 27 of the MSME Development Act, which concerns minor penalties on MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), but the new 2026 bill does not amend the MSME Development Act, 2006.
“A web of outdated rules and regulations causes a trust deficit.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,” read the statement of objects and reasons.
Decriminalizing minor offences The select committee examined the bill and submitted its report to the Lok Sabha on 13 March. “In addition to the Bill referred to it, the Hon’ble Committee made recommendations to bring several other enactments within the ambit of the Bill,” the statement said.
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Amendments to the Tea Act, 1953, Legal Metrology Act, 2009, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, had already been part of the 2023 exercise and are proposed for further decriminalization.
According to a commerce ministry statement on the August 2025 proposed bill, the second iteration of the Jan Vishwas Bill builds on the success of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023—the first consolidated legislation to systematically decriminalize minor offences across multiple Acts.
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