India, April 4 -- In a significant step towards decriminalising outdated and minor regulatory provisions, Parliament on Thursday cleared the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026. The legislation removes criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment under two specific sections of the Delhi Police Act, 1978, which the Government has described as no longer relevant in contemporary times.

The Bill, which amends 80 central laws and rationalises over 700 minor offences across various statutes, aims to promote "trust-based governance," reduce the burden on the judicial system, and ease compliance for ordinary citizens. It replaces many criminal provisions with civil penalties or simply omits them altogether, building on the e...