India Parliament Advances Reforms with Jan Vishwas and Finance Bills

On March 27, 2026, India's Parliament advanced significant legislative reforms as the Lok Sabha introduced the Jan Vishwas Amendment of Provisions Bill, 2026, aimed at decriminalizing minor offenses across numerous central laws, while the Rajya Sabha approved the Finance Bill 2026, completing the budgetary process for the fiscal year starting April 1.

The Jan Vishwas Bill, tabled by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, proposes amendments to 79 central acts administered by 23 ministries, affecting a total of 784 provisions. Of these, 717 involve decriminalization to promote ease of doing business, and 67 focus on easing daily compliance for citizens. The legislation builds on the 2023 Jan Vishwas Act, which decriminalized 183 provisions in 42 acts, by further reducing imprisonment for procedural violations and replacing them with fines or penalties. Key changes include rationalizing rules under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, such as allowing statewide vehicle registration, providing a 30-day grace period for expired driving licenses, and permitting renewals effective from the application date rather than expiry. It also introduces an automatic 10 percent...