Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday tabled the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 that proposes the decriminalisation of 288 provisions relating to minor offences in order to make doing business easier.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry said the 2025 Bill builds on the Jan Vishwas Act of 2023 which decriminalized 183 provisions.
The 2025 Bill has been referred to a select committee which is expected to prepare a report on it by the first day of the next session.
The Bill proposes to amend 355 provisions in all. Besides the 288 provisions that are proposed to be decriminalised, the Bill proposes the amendment of 67 provisions under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Act, 1994 and Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to facilitate ease of living, the Ministry said in a statement.
The government said the proposals involve removal of imprisonment clauses for minor, technical or procedural defaults and have been replaced with monetary penalties or warnings.
To reduce the judicial burden, designated officers have been empowered to impose penalties through administrative processes.
Four Acts — Tea Act, 1953, Legal Metrology Act, 2009, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 — which were part of Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 are proposed for further decriminalisation under the current Bill, the government said.
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As many as 47 provisions under the NDMC Act have been proposed for amendments. The proposal replaces the “rateable value” method of property tax with Unit Area Method (UAM), introducing a transparent and formula-based system linked to property size, usage and location. “This will simplify assessment, reduce discretion, and enhance compliance,” a ministry official said.
The amendments proposed in the 20 provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 will provide relaxation and clarity in compliance, including state-wide vehicle registration instead of jurisdiction-specific.
For instance, the reporting period for vehicle registration cancellation extended from 14 to 30 days. Insurer intimation period on transfer of insurance certificate has been proposed to be extended from 14 to 30 days. “These reforms aim to simplify procedures for citizens, improve transparency in property taxation, and provide relief in vehicle-related compliances,” the official said.
The official said that that 11 offences under the Apprentices Act, 1961 like employer requiring an apprentice to work overtime without approval of Apprenticeship Adviser, refusal to furnish information or return, employing apprentice on work which is not connected to his training, etc. which are currently punishable with fine (Rs. 1000) are proposed to be converted to advisory for the first contravention and with censure or warning or penalty for every subsequent contravention.
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In the Central Silk Board Act, 1948, imprisonment up to 1 year and fine up to Rs. 1,000 has been proposed to be converted to only warning for first instance of contravention and penalty between Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh for continuing or repeated offences for furnishing any false statement. Imprisonment up to 1 year and fine up to Rs 1,000 have been proposed to be removed for obstructing officers of the Board in exercise of any power, the official said.
Under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985 (APEDA), fine up to Rs 5,000 has been proposed to be converted to warning for first instance of contravention and penalty with minimum Rs 10,000 for subsequent contravention for failure to furnish any return or furnishing a false report.
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