Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi had specifically raised the issue of investment and innovation in his recent Independence Day speech. He said that some laws in our country are so old that even a minor mistake can result in jail sentence. These laws not only burden the citizens but also go against the spirit of democracy. Aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047 vision the Central government introduced the Jan vishwas bill 2.0 in lok Sabha to further decriminalise minor offences under different laws and bring about a change in regulations for the ease of doing business and living. This marks a progressive shift towards trust-based governance by decriminalizing minor violations and reducing regulatory burdens.
Shifting from imprisonment to Penalties
This bill is an ambitious legal reform being brought by the Central government under which more than 350 legal provisions will be amended. Earlier 183 provisions were decriminalised under Jan vishwas in 2023, which were related to 19 ministries and departments. 183 provisions have been changed to decriminalise offences that are minor, procedural and technical in nature. It removed the provisions of imprisonment in most offences and replaced them with fines and penalties. It also provided for compounding of offences in various offences. This move is another big effort towards making India an easy country to do business. Under this bill, many minor crimes which were unnecessarily punishable by imprisonment or fine have either been eliminated completely or the punishment of imprisonment has been changed to mere fine. In some cases, the nature of punishment has been changed. This will create an atmosphere of trust rather than fear in the business environment.
In India's Amrit Kaal The Jan vishwas bill 2.0 has brought a lot of relief to businessmen, start-ups and common citizens and promotes innovation and investment.
The writer is BJP minority cell National Secretary and Advocate, Jharkhand High court. Views expressed are personal.