Nod for changes in Jan Vishwas Bill to decriminalise minor offences

New Delhi, July 12

The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, that proposes to amend 183 provisions in 42 laws administered by 19 ministries, including those minor ones that invite jail term, sources said.

The sources said the Bill proposes to amend almost 113 imprisonment clauses in various pieces of legislation, governing matters pertaining to the ministries of Finance, Food and Public Distribution, Financial Services, Agriculture, Commerce, Environment, Road Transport and Highways, Posts, Electronics and Information Technology.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill was introduced by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha on December 22 last year. After that, the Bill was referred to a joint committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP PP Chaudhary. The panel had submitted its report in the Lok Sabha on the proposed legislation in March during the Budget session.

The committee has held detailed discussions with all 19 ministries and departments, including the legislative department and department of legal affairs. It adopted its report in March, which was laid before Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha later that month.

In its report, the panel had suggested that the government should bring the amendments proposed in the law with “retrospective effect for abating pending legal proceedings in respect of offences being decriminalised”.

Unlike civil liabilities, criminal liabilities cannot be imposed retrospectively. But these can be done away with with retrospective effect, the panel had suggested. It had also recommended that wherever feasible, removal of imprisonment may be accompanied by levying of penalty instead of a fine to avoid an increase in number of litigations.

Besides seeking decriminalisation of minor offences, the Bill, as suggested by the panel, also envisages rationalisation of monetary penalties, depending on the gravity of the offence, to bolster trust-based governance.

The Acts, which are being amended include the 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; and Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Cabinet okays lithium Commercial mining

The Cabinet is said to have cleared amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to allow commercial mining of lithium and other critical minerals, including beryllium, titanium, niobium, tantalum and zirconium, said sources.