Seven States enact laws on lines of Jan Vishwas Act to encourage business

Seven NDA-ruled States are pushing for reforms in line with the Jan Vishwas Act, which decriminalizes minor offenses by replacing jail sentences with fines to make investment environments more predictable and business-friendly, officials said on Friday, November 21, 2025.

“Together, these reforms represent a structural shift towards trust-based Governance, reducing the criminalization of routine, technical or procedural non-compliance,” officials said.

The combined impact of the States is expected to boost entrepreneurship, reduce litigation, provide regulatory clarity and make investment environments at the State level more predictable and business-friendly, they said.

Maharashtra approved Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025Amending seven rules across five ministries, including labour, revenue and public health, to modernize sentencing frameworks.

Efforts are ongoing in Madhya Pradesh to amend 144 sections of 24 Acts, remove criminal penalties and rationalize compliance requirements.

The Chhattisgarh Assembly passed the Jan Vishwas Bill in July 2025, decriminalizing 163 provisions in eight Acts and shifting from imprisonment to streamlined fines.

The Gujarat Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill has amended 516 provisions in 11 laws covering six ministries, in one of the most comprehensive purges this year.

The Haryana Jan Vishwas Ordinance decriminalized 164 provisions in 42 Acts administered by 17 ministries, making it the largest inter-ministerial exercise among the states.

The Odisha government has also issued the Odisha Jan Vishwas Regulations, which include 15 important recommendations under 10 departments, aimed at reducing unnecessary penal proceedings and improving ease of service delivery.

The Tripura Jan Vishwas Act 2025 amends 16 sections of 10 laws, including complete repeal of five of the outdated provisions.