A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE JAN VISHWAS ACT AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIA’S ECOLOGY

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 decriminalizes a number of offences under 42 central acts and aims to facilitate ease of doing business as well as ease of living. This paper attempts to discuss the implications of the proposed amendment with regards to the environmental related laws and its impact on the ecology of the country. While the Act envisages substitution of imprisonment with penalty for various violations, the new system leaves the question of ecological compensation and damage unaddressed. In addition to the above, the adjudicating authority has been given extensive powers without specifying technical expertise or training and the Water Act remains outside the scope of the amendment thereby creating a loophole which may have adverse consequences.