PM Modi Chairs Cabinet Meet, Jan Vishwas Bill To Decriminalise Various Offences May Get Nod

Cabinet Meeting Today: A Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being held at the Prime Minister's residence.

PM Modi chaired a Cabinet meet at the Prime Minister's residence ( Image Source :Getty )

The Cabinet on Wednesday is likely to give its nod to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill that proposes to decriminalise various offences in 42 laws. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being held at the Prime Minister's residence.

All Cabinet ministers, inlcuding Home Minister Amit Shah, are attending the meeting, which comes amid buzz of a ministerial reshuffle ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The bill, which aims to reduce the compliance burden for businesses, is likely to be presented in the coming monsoon session of Parliament for passage. 

The Jan Vishwas Bill, which seeks to  redefine the regulatory landscape of the country, will decriminalise 183 offenses in 42 laws. This will help improve ease of doing business in India. 

The World Bank 'Ease of Doing Business' report has ranked India at 63rd position against the 77th rank in 2018. 

The development comes after the Centre asked 19 ministries to do away with outdated provisions in the 42 laws.

READ | Senior Ministers, BJP Leaders Meet Nadda As Cabinet Reshuffle Buzz Grows Stronger

The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last year in December by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. It was subsequently referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament for scrutiny.

The parliamentary panel report, tabled on March 20, said decriminalising minor offences would "reduce the burden on judiciary and prisons" while easing the doing of business and easing the living of the individuals at the same time, PTI reported.

"Some of the proposed amendments are introducing suitable adjudication mechanisms, wherever applicable and feasible for dealing with minor offences. This would go a long way in reducing the burden on the judiciary, unclog courts and help in efficient justice dispensation," it said.

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.

The Cabinet meeting comes amid speculation over a possible expansion or rejig in which several new faces are expected to be inducted.

Earlier this month, PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Council of Ministers. "Had a fruitful meeting with the Council of Ministers, where we exchanged views on diverse policy-related issues," PM Modi tweeted after chairing a nearly four-hour meeting of the Union Council of Ministers.

PM Modi also asked his ministers to go all out over the next nine months to inform people about the work done by the government ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.