Cutting red tape

Deregulation commission must conduct wide-ranging assessment

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his government's commitment to creating a "deregulation commission", meant to prune existing rules and create a new and more investment-friendly ecosystem. The removal of onerous regulations was also the thrust of the Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament a few weeks ago, and this policy thrust was also signalled in the Union Budget. What matters now is how deep, comprehensive, and sustained the work of deregulation will be. Already, a so-called "Jan Vishwas" Bill has been passed and that decriminalises some civil offences. Another one has been promised to reportedly remove criminal punishment for about another 100 minor offences, replacing them with civil penalties. These are important steps forward. But they do not so far consist of a shift in approach so much as pruning the most excessive and punitive aspects of an oppressive state machinery that has been built up over decades.