Rajya Sabha Passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill

New Delhi : The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday after being passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal emphasized that the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 is designed to promote trust-based governance. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, he said, “There will be fear in those who knowingly break the law.”

The Minister emphasized that with this reform, they are trying to “provide protection with adequate civil mechanisms”, “provide rapid and protection with adequate civil mechanisms, and impose rapid and proportionate penalties”.

Clarifying that the bill does not dilute key regulations such as the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Goyal assured the Parliament that “very strict and severe criminal penalties” will be imposed on those who manufacture, import or sell fake medicines without the approval of the drug controller.

The legislation aims to promote a governance model based on trust and proportionate regulation, while also reducing the burden of compliance and decriminalizing minor offenses to facilitate smoother business operations and improve the quality of life of citizens.

The bill seeks to amend 784 provisions of 79 Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries, decriminalize 717 provisions to promote Ease of Doing Business and amend 67 provisions to facilitate Ease of Living.

The bill aims to rationalize more than 1,000 offences, remove outdated and unnecessary provisions and improve the overall regulatory environment. A transition from criminal sanctions for minor, technical or procedural defaults to civil and administrative sanction mechanisms is envisaged.

Key measures include replacing custodial provisions with fines or warnings, graduated enforcement mechanisms, including warnings for first-time offenses, and rationalizing fines and penalties according to the nature of the offence.

To ensure effective and time-bound implementation, the Bill provides for the appointment of Adjudication Officers and the establishment of Appellate Authorities.

Officials said the measures are aimed at facilitating speedy disposal of cases and reducing the caseload in courts, while ensuring adherence to the principles of natural justice.

Jan vishwas bill Piyush goyal Rajya sabha Civil penalties Fiduciary governance The bill also proposes 67 amendments under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.