New Delhi, April 1 -- The Lok Sabha passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 on Wednesday, marking a significant legislative shift toward decriminalizing minor offences and enhancing the ease of doing business in India.

The Bill, which cleared the lower House by voice vote, proposes sweeping changes to 784 provisions across 79 central Acts administered by 23 separate ministries.

At the heart of the legislation is a move to decriminalize 717 provisions, replacing potential jail time for minor, technical, or procedural lapses with civil penalties, monetary fines, or formal warnings. In his address to the House, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal emphasized that the reform is designed to foster a culture of trus...