Why in the News?
- The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to further the government’s agenda of decriminalisation and rationalisation of laws.
- This is the second Jan Vishwas Bill; the first (2023) decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Acts.
About the Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0:
- Introduced in Lok Sabha (August 2025) as the second Jan Vishwas reform.
- Seeks to amend 16 Central Acts across 10 ministries/departments.
- Builds on the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Acts.
- Aims to promote trust-based governance, ease of living, and ease of doing business.
- Currently referred to a Lok Sabha Select Committee for examination.
Key Features of the Bill:
- Scope: Proposes amendments to 355 provisions:
- 288 decriminalised (technical/procedural defaults).
- 67 rationalised (ease of living).
- Acts covered: RBI Act (1934), Drugs & Cosmetics Act (1940), Motor Vehicles Act (1988), Electricity Act (2003), Legal Metrology Act (2009), MSME Development Act (2006), Apprentice Act (1961), and others.
- First-time Offences: Introduces “warning” and “improvement notice” in 76 offences (e.g., non-standard weights, MVA violations).
- Decriminalisation: Removes imprisonment clauses for minor defaults, replacing them with fines or warnings.
- Example: Electricity Act → imprisonment replaced with fines between ₹10,000 and ₹10 lakh.
- Penalty Rationalisation: Automatic 10% increase in penalties every 3 years for repeat offences.
- Objective: Ensure deterrence without overburdening courts and without repeated legislative amendments.
Why was the Bill brought in?
- Over-criminalisation in Indian laws:
- 882 central laws; 370 contain criminal provisions for 7,305 offences (Vidhi Centre).
- Many are trivial or outdated (e.g., penalties for routine acts like exercising pets incorrectly).
- Business barriers:
- ORF (2022) → Over 50% of 1,536 business laws carry jail terms; 37.8% of 69,233 compliances carry imprisonment clauses.
- Creates fear among entrepreneurs, stifling growth.
- Judicial pendency:
- 3.6 crore criminal cases pending in district courts (Aug 2025).
- 2.3 crore are over 1 year old.
- Minor offences clog the system, delaying trials of serious crimes.
- Governance reform agenda:
- Aligns with PM Modi’s commitment to remove “unnecessary laws” (reiterated in Independence Day 2025 speech).
- Supports ease of living and ease of doing business as core NDA governance planks.
| [UPSC 2012] What is/are the recent policy initiative(s)of Government of India to promote the growth of the manufacturing sector?
1. Setting up of National Investment and Manufacturing Zones 2. Providing the benefit of ‘single window clearance’ 3. Establishing the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund Select the correct answer using the codes given below: Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3* |
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