New Delhi: From defecating in public and needless honking to smoking in a metro compartment or begging on trains, a range of everyday nuisances could soon stop being criminal offences. Aiming to enhance trust-based governance, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha, proposes decriminalising 717 minor violations across 79 central laws, replacing the threat of arrest and prosecution with fines, warnings and civil penalties.
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, introduced the third edition of the Bill in the Lok Sabha on 27 March 2026, with certain enactments for “decriminalising and rationalising offences”.
In all, the Jan Vishwas Bill decriminalises 717 minor offences and rationalises over 1,000 provisions across 79 central Acts. Here are some quirky, everyday acts which are currently “crimes” but will cease to be once the Bill is passed.
Under the new Bill, the owner of a pig who allows the animal to trespass and damage land, crops, or public roads will no longer face jail of up to one month, but a penalty of up to Rs 1,000. Similarly, the act of milking cattle or tethering animals on the streets of New Delhi will now only attract a penalty. Earlier the act could be punished with 3 months in jail.
The failure of an owner to keep a “ferocious dog” muzzled in a public street in New Delhi has been converted from a criminal default to a penalty of Rs 1,000.
Easing oneself or allowing a child to do so near a street will no longer be an offence, allowing urinating or defecation in public.
Smoking in a metro compartment or an underground station is now a punishable civil default (not criminal), carrying a penalty of Rs 2,000 and the immediate forfeiture of the passenger’s ticket.
On the roads, drivers who sound their horn “needlessly or continuously” or in silence zones will now receive a recorded warning for their first contravention, followed by a penalty for subsequent offences, rather than immediate criminal fines. Earlier this was punishable by a fine ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Failing to dispose of an animal carcass within twenty-four hours of its death is now a civil matter in New Delhi. In cantonment areas, the act of feeding animals intended for milk or food supply “filthy or deleterious substances” is now subject to a penalty rather than criminal prosecution.
Furthermore, begging in a railway carriage or on any part of the railway station has been shifted to a penalty-based system instead of the earlier imprisonment and fine under the Jan Vishwas Bill.
Under the Delhi Police Act, exhibiting “mimetic, musical or other performances” that attract crowds and cause obstruction to passengers is no longer a criminal offence. Under the refined scope, this will attract a fine of Rs 100. If the offender fails to pay this fine, they are liable for imprisonment for a term not exceeding eight days.
The act of letting off Chinese lanterns in a manner likely to cause danger in certain jurisdictions (like New Delhi) will no longer be a crime.
Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the failure to secure a child under 14 with a safety belt or child restraint system has been transitioned from a “punishable fine” to a civil penalty.
In administrative acts, such as the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, references to “molestation” in the context of obstructing municipal officers have been replaced with “obstruction”.
If a building needs to be cleansed or disinfected to prevent the spread of a dangerous disease, the commissioner so far asks the owner to pay for it. If the owner or occupier is “from poverty or any other cause unable effectually” to carry out these health-related requirements, the municipal authorities will now be empowered to perform the cleaning and disinfection at the expense of the municipal fund rather than penalising the individual.
Violating standards of manufacturing or selling cosmetics under the colonial era Drugs and Cosmetics Act will no longer invite a potential one-year prison sentence. It will now attract a penalty of Rs 1 lakh or three times the value of the confiscated cosmetics, whichever is higher.
Destroying or defacing a street name or a house number is now handled through penalties via civil procedure of law rather than a criminal FIR and investigation.
Similarly, public prohibitions against washermen washing clothes in non-designated areas are now enforced through civil penalties instead of the criminal route. Persons suffering from dangerous diseases who make or sell food, wash clothes, or use public transport without precautions were punishable by imprisonment leading up to 2 years, but now will face fixed penalties/fines.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)