Jan Vishwas 2.0: Centre set to table decriminalisation bill in Lok Sabha. Here are five things to look out for
Earlier this week, the Union Cabinet of India cleared the Jan Vishwas 2.0 bill which is aiming to decriminalise and rationalise the punishment of offences based on a trust basis governance for the ease of doing business.
'In our country, there are such laws that can put people in jail for very small things — you would be shocked. No one has really paid attention to them. I have been pursuing this, because these unnecessary laws that put our country's citizens behind bars should be abolished. We had introduced a Bill in Parliament earlier, and we have brought it again this time,' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 79th Independence Day speech.
1. Improvement notice — In the Jan Vishwas 2.0 bill, the centre has proposed to introduce a concept of an 'improvement notice' instead of a penalty for a first time offender.
In the Budget 2025 announcement, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will bring the Jan Vishwas 2.0 this year, though which the Centre aims to decriminalise more than 180 legal provisions.
"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," said Sitharaman in the Budget speech.
2. Shift of approach — The proposed bill bring forth a shift of approach of the central government moving from a 'penalise on first detection' approach of the Jan Vishwas 1.0 which was imposed as a law in 2023, into a 'inform–correct–penalise' approach soon to be mandated as the law.
Through this move, the government aims to promote the ease of doing business and trust-based regulation while maintaining deterrence for repeated violations, a person aware of the development told the news portal.
3. No penalty on first offence — According to the proposed bill, the first time offenders will not be charged any penalty for their offence and will be served an opportunity to rectify their non-compliance withing a pre-set period.
4. Increasing subsequent fines — In case an entity becomes a repeat offender, the penalties will start to be applicable from the second offence onwards.
According to the news portal's report, the penalty which will be applicable will be the same as it was for the first offence in Jan Vishwas 1.0. The proposal also mandates that the fines charged will increase for the subsequent offences subject to a maximum cap depending on the sections.
5. Changes via Jan Vishwas 1.0 — According to the Jan Vishwas Act of 2023, in efforts to decriminalise several offences under various laws, the Indian government removed the Section 41 of the Food Corporations Act, 1964 which punished imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or a fine of ₹ 1,000, or both in case of a using FCI's name in any prospectus or advertisement without its consent in writing.
Another case was when the Jan Vishwas Act removed the 6-month imprisonment penalty for tree felling or damage caused by cattle in protected forests; they have however, kept ₹ 500 as a fine for the same in efforts to decriminalise.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Air India cancels Zurich-Delhi flight citing technical issue
MUMBAI: Air India on Monday said it cancelled its Zurich-Delhi flight of August 17 due to a technical reason, days after the Tata Group-owned airline stated that it had carried out a detailed "inspection" of its Boeing 787 aircraft fleet and "no issues" were detected. However, a passenger on board said the flight aborted take-off at the last minute due to an engine issue. In the last two days, Air India has cancelled at least two flights, including one international, at the last moment, citing technical reasons. Air India operates its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet to cater to the European market. "Flight AI152 scheduled to operate from Zurich to Delhi on 17 August has been cancelled due to a technical reason, and subsequently due to night curfew in Zurich," Air India said in a statement. The airline said it has arranged alternative flights to the passengers' destination and is providing hotel accommodation, along with full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling options for the passengers. "Air India flight from Zurich to Delhi is cancelled: aborted moments before take-off, technical issue in engine cited," said the passenger in a post on X. A Delhi-bound Air India plane, carrying Lok Sabha Member and Congress leader Hibi Eden among others, aborted take-off at the Kochi airport on Sunday due to a technical issue, officials said. Earlier, the airline was forced to cancel its Milan-Delhi flight owing to a technical issue which was detected during pushback. The airline, which came under private hands in January 2022, has recently been delaying and cancelling some flights at the last minute due to technical and maintenance issues. This comes despite repeated assurances from Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson that the airline has carried out comprehensive checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft fleet. In a message to the customers recently, while listing out the various steps taken after the fatal crash of an AI-171 flight to London soon after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport, Wilson said detailed inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft were done and "no issues were found during inspection".
Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
Indian stock market: Nifty tops 25,000 level. Is this rally sustainable in near term?
Stock market today: The Nifty 50 index climbed back above the 25,000 level on Monday, August 18, for the first time since July 25, as a series of positive developments over the weekend helped counter concerns about a possible 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, BSE index Sensex also soared nearly 1,100 points, rallying to 81,678.77 in Monday's trading session. Market experts said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on potential cuts in goods and services tax (GST) has boosted sentiment, especially in consumption-driven sectors. Analysts believe that automobiles, financials, consumer durables, and domestic-oriented industries connected to infrastructure spending stand to gain the most. 'The Prime Minister recent announcement of potential GST reforms is a significant positive. These measures are expected to reduce the cost of essential goods, which should boost consumer spending and corporate profitability. This will likely improve market sentiment and attract fresh investment,' said Sugandha Sachdeva, Founder of SS WealthStreet. Indian equity indices wrapped up the week on a subdued note, pressured by continued selling in key sectors and dampened global cues. The Nifty 50 managed a marginal rise of 11.95 points to close at 24,631.30, while the Sensex added 57.75 points to finish at 80,597.66. According to Choice Broking, Nifty is currently hovering near its short-term support of 24,590 (20-day EMA). 'The broader setup remains cautiously bearish to sideways, with the Nifty trapped between key averages. A breakout above 24,800 could trigger momentum buying towards 25,000+, while a break below 24,300 may invite fresh selling pressure, dragging the index towards 24,000–23,800. Traders should remain tactical with a buy-on-dips and sell-on-rise approach, keeping a close eye on the EMA cluster for directional cues,' the firm said. Support Levels:- 24200-24000 Resistance Levels :- 24700-24800 Overall Bias :- Sideways To Bullish The Bank Nifty index ended the week at 55,341.85, up 0.61% compared to the previous week's close. The weekly chart reflects buying support at lower levels, with the index successfully sustaining above the key 55,000 level. 'The Bank Nifty index formed a bullish-bodied candle with a slight upper wick, accompanied by consistent trading volumes. This price action reflects the possibility of a sideways or consolidation phase in the near term. As long as the index holds above the 54,800 marks, a 'buy on dips'; strategy remains advisable, with upside targets placed at 55,800 and 56,000. The Bank Nifty index is likely to face significant resistance in the 55,500–56,000 range. If the index continues to move higher, ICICI Bank & HDFC Bank from the private banking sector is expected to support the uptrend. Similarly, in the public sector banking space, SBIN is anticipated to show strength and contribute to any potential upside,' the brokerage firm added. Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
16 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM's Diwali Dhamaka may come as GST cuts on small cars, insurance premiums
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Diwali 'dhamaka' for consumers may come in the form of cuts in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on small cars and insurance premiums. According to a report by Reuters, citing government sources, Centre has proposed lowering GST on small petrol and diesel cars to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, and reducing GST on health and life insurance premiums to 5 per cent from the current 18 per cent, or even exempting them entirely. If cleared, the relief package could be unveiled before Diwali in October, India's busiest retail season, and just weeks ahead of the Bihar Assembly election. PM Modi, in his Independence Day address, promised 'next generation' GST reforms to ease the burden on consumers and micro, small and medium enterprises. Larger GST overhaul in the works PM Modi's rationalisation agenda is built on three pillars, the Reuters report said. This includes structural reforms, rate simplification, and ease of living. It seeks to correct inverted duty structures, reduce classification disputes, and eventually move towards a simplified two-slab structure with standard and merit rates while phasing out the 12 per cent slab. Moreover, as the compensation cess on luxury and sin goods is set to end, the Centre sees an opportunity to use that room to cut GST on everyday and aspirational products without hurting revenues. Compensation cess expiry and GST review Compensation cess refers to the extra levy introduced in 2017 on luxury and sin goods such as coal, tobacco, aerated drinks, and large cars. It was designed to compensate states for revenue losses after GST replaced earlier state taxes like VAT and octroi. Originally meant to expire in 2022, the cess was extended until March 2026 to help cover revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic. Once it lapses, the Centre will have greater flexibility to rationalise GST rates without relying on this additional revenue stream. Small cars to see turnaround Small cars, defined as those under four metres with petrol engines up to 1,200cc and diesel engines up to 1,500cc, have steadily lost ground to SUVs, shrinking from nearly half the passenger vehicle market pre-pandemic to about one-third of the 4.3 million units sold in FY24. A lower tax rate could help revive demand in this category, which remains significant for manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, and Tata Motors. Big cars may get costlier The government is also considering a 40 per cent special GST slab for larger vehicles, which currently attract 28 per cent GST plus a compensation cess of up to 22 per cent, taking the effective burden close to 50 per cent. Officials are weighing whether to impose supplementary levies to keep the final incidence within the existing 43-50 per cent band. Insurance relief on the cards Households may see additional relief through cheaper health and life insurance. Cutting GST to 5 per cent from 18 per cent or zero would help lower premiums and expand coverage in a country. GST Council to meet in September The matter has been referred to the Group of Ministers set up by the GST Council, which is expected to take place on September 9, according to a report by CNBC-TV18. If approved, the package would mark the most significant GST restructuring since 2017.
