Jan Vishwas Act 2023
The First Wave of Decriminalisation
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 was the first systematic legislative effort to rationalise the criminal liability framework governing business and regulatory compliance in India. It was enacted in response to decades of accumulation of criminal penalties for minor technical violations — a legacy of colonial-era legislation — which were identified as a major constraint on ease of doing business rankings and foreign investment.
- Jan Vishwas Act 2023 decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central laws administered by 19 Ministries/Departments.
- Laws covered included environment, agriculture, media, industry, trade, publication statutes.
- Methods used: removing imprisonment; retaining fines; converting imprisonment+fine to penalty; introducing compounding of offences.
- Established Adjudicating Officers and Appellate Authorities for civil enforcement of amended provisions.
● Tracked since March 30, 2026 · last seen April 03, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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