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Prime Minister’s vision that the aspirations of 21st-century India cannot be fulfilled through the archaic methods of colonial rule
India’s regulatory system historically operated with a mindset of suspicion, often subjecting citizens to harsh consequences for minor procedural errors or even mere allegations. The Modi government has ushered in a significant shift by promoting a governance model rooted in trust, empathy, and respect for every citizen. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken decisive steps to reform India’s legal and regulatory landscape by supporting citizens and businesses, simplifying compliance requirements, and acknowledging the practical challenges faced by the business community. Through measures such as reducing compliance burdens, expanding digitalization, and implementing single-window clearance systems, the overarching goal of this transformation has been to make governance more rational, efficient, and citizen-centric.
The Prime Minister’s vision of governance founded on trust and empathy is clearly reflected in the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, building on the reforms initiated through the corresponding legislation enacted in 2023. To foster a citizen-friendly regulatory environment and promote voluntary compliance, the new legislation establishes clear principles for addressing minor offenses: issuing warnings before imposing penalties, calibrating fines according to the severity of the offense, ensuring swift and transparent resolution, and maintaining a dynamic penalty framework subject to periodic revision. Together, these measures ensure that enforcement remains effective, relevant, and responsive to evolving needs.
This approach marks a fundamental shift in India’s compliance and enforcement framework, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision that the aspirations of 21st-century India cannot be fulfilled through the archaic methods of colonial-era governance.
The scale of this reform is unprecedented. The Jan Vishwas Act amends 784 provisions across 79 central laws administered by 23 ministries. It decriminalizes 717 provisions and rationalizes 67 others to enhance the ease of living for citizens. This represents the largest decriminalization initiative in the legislative history of independent India. The Act also rationalizes over 1,000 offenses and, by eliminating obsolete provisions, strengthens the framework for adjudication and appeals outside the criminal justice system.
Under the previous legal framework, a person could face up to three months’ imprisonment for failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for their presence in a house, building, or vehicle between sunset and sunrise. This colonial-era provision, which treated ordinary movement with suspicion, has now been abolished. Similarly, driving immediately after the expiry of a driving licence was previously treated as a criminal offense. The new law replaces this with a 30-day grace period, reflecting a more practical and citizen-friendly approach.
Similarly, under the earlier legal framework, failure to update registration details under the Apprenticeship Act constituted a criminal offense. Under the new law, however, stringent action will be taken only in cases of repeated non-compliance. Likewise, procedural lapses in the documentation requirements of a mining
The Jan Vishwas Act amends 784 provisions across 79 central laws administered by 23 ministries. It decriminalizes 717 provisions and rationalizes 67 others to enhance the ease of living for citizens. This represents the largest decriminalization initiative in the legislative history of independent India
company previously carried the possibility of imprisonment; these are now addressed through monetary penalties, reflecting a more proportionate enforcement approach.
In this context, the Jan Vishwas legislation exemplifies Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment to making governance simpler and improving the ease of living for all citizens. This objective has remained central to his 12 years of service as Prime Minister, as well as during his earlier tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The Jan Vishwas initiative builds upon a strong foundation. Through the first Jan Vishwas Act, enacted in 2023, India decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 central Acts, demonstrating that governance can be made more efficient through decriminalization without compromising regulatory enforcement. The 2026 legislation expands this effort nearly fourfold, underscoring that this is not a one-time exercise but part of a sustained and evolving reform agenda.
Viewed holistically, replacing criminal penalties for minor offenses with administrative and monetary measures is beneficial not only for ordinary citizens but also for small businesses. It enables enforcement agencies to focus on serious violations instead of routine technical lapses, while allowing courts to devote greater attention to cases that genuinely require judicial intervention. Together, these reforms contribute to a more efficient, proportionate, and citizen-centric regulatory framework.
The benefits of regulatory simplification extend beyond governance to the economy
The Jan Vishwas initiative builds upon a strong foundation. Through the first Jan Vishwas Act, enacted in 2023, India decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 central Acts, demonstrating that governance can be made more efficient through decriminalization without compromising regulatory enforcement
and the investment climate. In an increasingly competitive global economy, regulatory credibility is a critical factor in attracting investment. For years, the fear of legal consequences for minor procedural infractions discouraged investment and increased the cost of doing business. The impact of regulatory simplification is now becoming evident in investment trends. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India grew by 43 percent between 2014 and 2025, and this positive momentum continues. These reforms are intended to further strengthen investor confidence by positioning India as a more predictable, reliable, and stable destination for investment and business.
These reforms will also provide significant relief to the judicial system. Approximately 5.5 crore cases are pending before courts across the country, a substantial number of which involve minor violations that have now been decriminalized. Resolving such matters through administrative mechanisms, rather than criminal proceedings, is not merely a business reform but a judicial reform as well. It enables courts to devote their limited time and resources to serious offenses, complex disputes, and issues that genuinely require judicial determination.
At the same time, it is important to emphasize that serious violations will continue to attract stringent action. The law will remain uncompromising where the gravity of the offense warrants it. The transformation lies not in weakening enforcement but in changing its approach. Governance is shifting from suspicion to trust, from prosecution to reform, and from fear to freedom.
(The writer is Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, GoI)