JAN VISHWAS REFORMS: Minor drug law violations can now be settled without court cases

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies facing certain minor regulatory violations may no longer be required to contest criminal cases in court, with the government introducing a formal framework that allows eligible offences to be settled through monetary penalties and corrective steps.

- MPOST BUREAU

The move follows amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics (Compounding of Offences) Rules, 2025, notified under the Jan Vishwas Act, which seeks to decriminalise minor offences across multiple laws and improve ease of doing business, sources said on Monday.

The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, governs the safety, quality and efficacy of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices in India.

Traditionally, even technical noncompliance under the Act could trigger prosecution. Officials said the revised framework is intended to address minor or procedural lapses without burdening courts, while retaining safeguards for public health.

“Recognising the need to address minor and technical contraventions without overburdening the judicial system, section 32B was introduced to allow for compounding of offences," the rules state.