7 states amend over 1,000 provisions in 2025, push Jan Vishwas–style deregulation to boost business climate

Members of Lok Sabha during voting on referring the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, to a Select Committee at the Monsoon session of Parliament in August. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

Jan Vishwas–style deregulation is no longer limited to the Central government. A major shift is underway as states accelerate their own reforms. In 2025 alone, seven states have amended more than 1,000 provisions across various Acts, marking the strongest coordinated effort yet to reduce criminal penalties and simplify compliance at the state level.

These reforms largely focus on replacing criminal penalties for minor procedural violations with civil or administrative measures, making compliance simpler, faster, and less punitive for startups, MSMEs, and manufacturers.

According to official data, the seven NDA/BJP-ruled states that have passed or approved their own Jan Vishwas Bills or Ordinances in 2025 have together undertaken the largest deregulation exercise ever at the state level.

State-wise highlights of Jan Vishwas–style reforms in 2025

* Madhya Pradesh
Through the 2024 Jan Vishwas Amendment and the new 2025 “Jan Vishwas 2.0” Bill, MP has amended 144 sections across 24 Acts, removing criminal penalties and rationalising compliance norms.

* Chhattisgarh
Passed its Jan Vishwas Bill in July 2025, decriminalising 163 provisions across 8 Acts, replacing jail terms with streamlined monetary penalties.

* Gujarat
The Gujarat Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 amended 516 provisions across 11 laws covering six departments — one of the most extensive clean-ups this year.

* Haryana
Under the Haryana Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, the state has decriminalised 164 provisions across 42 Acts under 17 departments, making it the widest cross-departmental overhaul among states.

* Odisha
Approved the Odisha Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, covering 15 key proposals under 10 departments, aimed at reducing unnecessary penal action and improving service delivery.

* Maharashtra
Cleared the Maharashtra Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, amending 7 rules across 5 departments including labour, revenue, and public health, to modernise penalty regimes.

* Tripura
The Tripura Jan Vishwas Act, 2025 amended 16 sections across 10 laws, including five complete repeals of outdated provisions.

Government sources say these reforms signal a structural shift toward trust-based governance, reducing criminalisation of routine or technical non-compliance. The thrust behind this pro-business shift, they added, is the rapid adoption of Jan Vishwas–style legislative models at both central and state levels.

The government expects the combined impact to boost entrepreneurship, cut litigation, improve regulatory clarity, and make state-level investment environments more predictable and business-friendly.

This marks a clear shift in India’s reform momentum: Change is no longer driven solely by the Centre but is now propelled vigorously by states seeking to simplify permissions, reduce compliance friction, and give enterprises more room to grow.

Centre's push continues

The Central government has so far introduced two Jan Vishwas Bills: Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 — decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts.

Another one is Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — proposes amendments to 355 provisions, with 288 provisions being decriminalised.

A third version of the Jan Vishwas Bill is currently under preparation.