Why in News?

• The Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is passed in the lower house of the Parliament of India on 27 June 2023.
• The bill aims to amend certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business.
• The bill states that, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Act, 2023 shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
  • The Central Government may appoint different dates for amendments relating to different enactments mentioned in the Schedule to the aforementioned Act.

Background

• The Bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha on 22nd December 2022.
• It was later referred to a Joint Committee of the Parliament.
• The Report of the Committee has been laid before Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on 17th March 2023 and 20th March 2023, respectively.
  • The Committee recommended a few more amendments to the Bill.
  • The committee also made 7 general recommendations, out of which, 6 recommendations received the assent of all the Ministries/Departments concerned.
• A total of 183 provisions are being proposed to be decriminalized in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries or Departments.

Major Proposals

The bill proposed to bring measures mentioned below:

(a) Fines or penalties for certain offences in existing legislations will increase by 10% in every three years from the commencement of the Act

(b) establishment of Adjudicating Officers;

(c) establishment of Appellate Authorities; and

(d) removed all the offences under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and decriminalized offences under the High Denomination Bank Notes (Demonetisation) Act, 1978.

Major Acts Proposed to be Amended

42 Acts are proposed to be amended some major changes among them are mentioned below:

• The Information Technology Act, 2000: The existing penalties are substituted to a remarkable extent adhering to the demand of the time.
• The Environment Protection Act, 1986: Penalties are added for various breaches of the provisions. Also, definition of ‘Fund’ is inserted in the act to establish ‘Environment Protection Fund’ under Section 16 of the Act.
• The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: An imprisonment of two years and fine of 10, 000 rupees is substituted with fine of 5 lakh rupees under Section 30 of the Act.
• The Cinematograph Act, 1952: Fines are increased. Punishment for altering and tampering with any film after certification and exhibition of film to someone including a child who is not permitted under the certificate to watch the film is added in the proposal.
• The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: ‘Compounding of Offences’ to be substituted with the existing Section 200 of the Act is proposed.
• The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002: The schedule in Part A is proposed to be amended.