The Centre is set to introduce the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha today, The Indian Express has learnt. Among several proposed amendments across various laws, the Bill will introduce a new concept of an “improvement notice” in place of a penalty for first-time offences.

Cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier this week, the legislation aims to amend certain enactments to decriminalise and rationalise minor offences, promoting trust-based governance and easing the compliance burden for individuals and businesses.

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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the rollout of Jan Vishwas 2.0 during her Budget speech on February 1, 2025. “In the Jan Vishwas Act 2023, more than 180 legal provisions were decriminalised. Our government will now bring up the Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 to decriminalise more than 100 provisions in various laws,” she had said.

Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (2.0) Explained In Five Points 

Introduction of Improvement Notice

The Jan Vishwas 2.0 Bill proposes the introduction of an “improvement notice” in place of a monetary penalty for first-time offenders.

Shift in Regulatory Approach

The Bill marks a shift from the punitive “penalise-on-first-detection” model of Jan Vishwas 1.0 (enacted in 2023) to a more progressive “inform-correct-penalise” framework.

No Penalty for First-Time Offences

Under the new framework, first-time violators will not face immediate fines. Instead, they will be given a fixed period to rectify their non-compliance.

Penalties for Repeat Offences

Penalties will begin applying from the second offence onward, with fines increasing progressively for subsequent violations.

Background: Jan Vishwas 1.0 Reforms

As part of the 2023 Jan Vishwas Act, the government decriminalised several provisions. For instance, Section 41 of the Food Corporations Act, 1964, which prescribed up to six months’ imprisonment or a Rs 1,000 fine for unauthorized use of FCI’s name, was repealed.

What Is Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (2.0)?

The Jan Vishwas 2.0 Bill introduces a new provision for issuing an “improvement notice,” which will be applicable across multiple legal domains. This marks a shift from the Jan Vishwas 1.0 Bill of 2023, which imposed immediate penalties even for first-time violations. The new approach follows a phased model: inform, correct, then penalize. Under this system, first-time offenders will receive an improvement notice, giving them the opportunity to correct their mistakes before any fines are levied. Penalties will apply from the second offence onward and will match the original fine amounts outlined in Jan Vishwas 1.0. For repeat offences, fines will increase, subject to a maximum cap based on the relevant sections.

While the new system maintains complete decriminalisation, it adds the improvement notice as a corrective measure. “This encourages individuals to address minor or unintentional mistakes proactively, without the immediate fear of punishment,” said a source.

History Of Jan Vishwas Bill 

Earlier, the government enacted the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 to decriminalise a range of minor offences across various laws. For example, Section 41 of the Food Corporations Act, 1964, which penalised the use of the Food Corporation of India’s name in any prospectus or advertisement without prior written consent, was omitted. Under the original provision, the offence was punishable with imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both.

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Similarly, the Jan Vishwas Act removed the provision for imprisonment of up to six months under Section 33 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, related to tree felling or damage caused by cattle in protected forests. The revised law retains only a monetary penalty of Rs 500 for such violations.