Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 is a 108-page bill introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. The bill aims to promote ease of doing business in India by decriminalizing minor offences in 42 Acts administered by 19 ministries. The bill proposes to replace minor offences with monetary penalties and rationalize existing monetary penalties based on the gravity of the offences.

What’s in the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022?

The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022 proposes to amend 183 provisions across 42 Acts administered by 19 ministries. These Acts include Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Public Debt Act, 1944; Pharmacy Act, 1948; Cinematograph Act, 1952; Copyright Act, 1957; Patents Act, 1970; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; Trade Marks Act, 1999l Railways Act, 1989; Information Technology Act, 2000; Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002; Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; Legal Metrology Act, 2009; Factoring Regulation Act, 2011 etc.

The bill aims to decriminalize a large number of minor offences and replace them with monetary penalties.

How will the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022 help in ease of doing business?

According to Goyal, the fear of imprisonment for minor offences is a major factor hindering the growth of the business ecosystem and individual confidence in India. The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022 aims to address this issue by replacing minor offences with monetary penalties. The bill also proposes an increase of 10% in the minimum amount of fine and penalty levied after every three years, once the bill becomes a law.

Decriminalization of minor offences

The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022 not only aims to decriminalize minor offences, but it also envisages the rationalization of monetary penalties based on the gravity of the offences. The bill aims to trust people and not penalize them for minor mistakes, instead providing a provision for paying fines for minor offences.

Status of the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022

The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022 has been referred to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny. The committee includes members from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and will submit its report to parliament by the second part of the Budget session in 2023.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2022

Category: Legal & Constitution Current Affairs