Opinion | Jan Vishwas Bill 2026: A Landmark Step Towards Trust-Based Governance

This landmark legislation reinforces India’s commitment to reform, perform and transform.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 represents one of the most ambitious legal reforms undertaken by the Modi government. Passed by both Houses of Parliament in early April 2026, this legislation amends 784 provisions across 79 central laws administered by 23 ministries. Of these, 717 provisions are being decriminalised, replacing jail terms and criminal prosecution for minor, technical or procedural offences with civil penalties, warnings, or administrative mechanisms. Another 67 provisions focus on improving ease of living for ordinary citizens.

Introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 27, 2026, the Bill was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha on April 1 and in the Rajya Sabha on April 2-3, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed its passage as a “major boost to Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business," describing it as a shift from outdated, fear-based compliance to a modern, trust-based governance framework. This is not the first Jan Vishwas legislation.

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The 2023 Act decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 laws. A 2025 version was introduced but later withdrawn after a Select Committee recommended broader changes, leading to the expanded 2026 Bill. Together, these reforms have rationalised over 1000 offences, marking the largest such exercise in independent India’s history.

For decades, India’s regulatory framework was burdened by colonial-era laws and post-independence rules that treated even minor lapses such as delayed filings, missing displays, or small procedural errors as criminal offences punishable by imprisonment. This created an “Inspector Raj" environment, where businesses, especially MSMEs, faced constant harassment, while ordinary citizens dealt with unnecessary litigation for everyday issues.

The Modi government’s........

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