From Jan Seva to Sushasan: Regulatory Reforms Aim to Support Viksit Bharat 2047
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed 25 years in public service, a journey associated with the stated vision of Jan Seva Se Desh Seva. The Government has linked this approach with its broader objective of achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 through inclusive development, social empowerment and improved governance. The Jan Vishwas legislation is one of the initiatives aimed at making India’s regulatory framework more practical, transparent and business-friendly.
For decades, several Indian laws prescribed criminal penalties for minor procedural violations and technical defaults. Many of these provisions originated in older regulatory frameworks and were increasingly viewed as disproportionate to the nature of the offences. Recognising the need to modernise the legal and regulatory system, the Central Government initiated reforms to distinguish minor compliance failures from serious violations requiring criminal prosecution.
An important step in this direction was the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which decriminalised a range of minor offences across several Central Acts. The reform sought to reduce the threat of criminal proceedings for certain technical and procedural lapses while retaining appropriate enforcement mechanisms.
The Government subsequently continued this initiative through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which, according to the supplied account, was passed by Parliament in April 2026. Following its enactment, the legislation rationalised more than 1,000 offences by addressing outdated provisions, removing redundant requirements and revising penalties under various Central laws.
The objective of these reforms is to reduce unnecessary legal burdens on individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses while promoting a compliance framework based on proportionality. By replacing criminal penalties for specified minor violations with more appropriate enforcement measures, the reforms seek to improve regulatory predictability and encourage voluntary compliance.
The initiative also forms part of the Government’s wider efforts to simplify administrative procedures. In his Independence Day address in 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the Government had abolished more than 40,000 unnecessary compliances and repealed over 1,500 obsolete laws.
Following the passage of the 2026 Bill, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the legislation as an important milestone in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Jan Vishwas reforms reflect a broader shift towards modernising India’s legal and regulatory architecture in line with internationally recognised principles of proportionate and risk-based regulation. Their practical impact will depend on effective implementation, clear compliance requirements and the continued enforcement of safeguards against serious violations.
Ultimately, the initiative seeks to establish a regulatory environment in which minor technical defaults do not automatically invite criminal prosecution, while accountability for significant breaches of law remains intact. This approach is intended to support ease of doing business, improve public administration and contribute to India’s long-term development goals.
