Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026

• Kashish Kumar
• 04 Apr 2026
• 79 Views

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 has been passed by both the Houses of Parliament. Passing of this Bill is a giant leap towards further enhancement of the Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living in the country. 

Provisions of the Jan Vishwas Bill 

According to the provisions of the Bill, a total of 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries witnessed amendment. Of these, a total of 717 provisions have been decriminalized so as to promote Ease of Doing Business. The remaining 67 provisions have been amended to facilitate Ease of Living. 

The Bill aims to simplify as well as rationalize over 1,000 offenses by eliminating minor offenses. This effort is intended to enhance the regulatory environment as well as create a more favorable ecosystem for businesses as well as citizens.

Coverage of Legislations Affecting Health Sector

The amendments affect key legislation in the health sector like the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, the Pharmacy Act of 1948, the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act of 2010 and the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act of 2021. These reforms align with the broader goal of simplification of compliance while ensuring vigorous safeguards for public health.

Shift from Criminal to Civil Penalties

A central feature of these reforms is the transition from previous system of criminal penalties, especially when it comes to imprisonment for minor procedural violations, to a system of graded monetary penalties. This change promotes a more supportive regulatory framework for the stakeholder. At the same time, the Bill still imposes strict consequences in case of commitment of serious offenses that could impact public health and safety.

Amendments under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940

In order to substitute imprisonment with financial penalties and to introduce a structured adjudication mechanism, several provisions have been amended in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Specifically, an adjudication process has been introduced for violations u/s 27A(ii) and Section 28A. 

This means that minor violations related to cosmetics (excluding spurious or adulterated products) can be resolved via civil penalty system without the need for court intervention.

Amendments under Pharmacy Act, 1948

The Pharmacy Act, 1948 has also been amended so as to modernize penalty provisions and enhance accountability through increased financial penalties in case of non-compliance. 

Amendments under FSS Act, 2006

The Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 has been amended so as to enhance enforcement while ensuring that penalties are appropriate as per the offense nature. This creates a balanced approach between regulatory oversight and ease of compliance.

Regulatory Frameworks’ Harmonization

These reforms are in alignment across several health-related legislations and showcase a coherent policy approach that aims to harmonize regulatory frameworks. The amendments under the bill ensure consistency, predictability and proportionality in enforcement. It does so by standardizing the shift from criminal penalties to civil penalties and introducing mechanisms concerning adjudication.

This alignment decreases regulatory fragmentation, makes compliance requirements simpler and offers clarity regarding operating across different segments of the health sector.

Whole-of-Government Approach

The involvement of a total of 23 Ministries of GOI in implementation of these reforms highlights a whole-of-government approach to improving the regulatory ecosystem. This broad-based participation demonstrates how strongly committed the government is when it comes to enhancing the Ease of Doing Business and the Ease of Living across various sectors. It ensures that the reforms are detailed, well coordinated and actually impactful for the stakeholders.

Overall, it is anticipated that these measures will make compliance better, reduce litigation in courts and build greater trust between stakeholders and regulatory authorities while continuing to protect public health as well as public interest.

Source:- Press Information Bureau (PIB)