New Delhi, April 3 (IANS). The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has described the Public Trust (Amendment Provisions) Bill, 2026, passed by both Houses of Parliament on Friday, as a major step towards public health protection.
According to the ministry, under this bill, 784 sections of 79 central laws administered by 23 ministries have been amended. This change in the health sector was particularly driven by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; Pharmacy Act, 1948; Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010; And in important laws like National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021.
The government says these reforms aim to simplify rules, while also ensuring that protections for public health remain strong.
A key feature of the Bill is the abolition of prison sentences for minor procedural violations and the introduction of phased financial penalties. However, strict action will continue in serious cases.
Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, several provisions have been amended to provide for financial penalty instead of jail sentence and a systematic adjudication mechanism has been implemented. With this, minor violations like non-maintenance of documents or not providing information on time can be dealt with at the administrative level instead of the court.
For the first time, the Central and State Governments have been given the power to appoint adjudicating authorities. Under this, clear arrangements for show cause notice, personal hearing and appeal have also been made.
The ministry says that this will reduce the burden on the courts, the number of cases will reduce and small cases will be disposed of faster. Especially the cosmetics industry will get relief from this, because lengthy legal process on small technical violations will be avoided.
By amending the Pharmacy Act, 1948, the penal provisions have been modernized and financial penalties for non-compliance have been increased, which will increase accountability.
The provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 have been amended such that the punishment is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, thereby maintaining a balance between monitoring and compliance.
The Clinical Establishments Act, 2010 has also been amended to emphasize financial penalties in cases where the deficiency does not pose an immediate threat to patient safety.
At the same time, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 has also been strengthened to ensure adherence to professional standards and impose balanced penalties for violations.
According to the government, all these reforms will bring uniformity in different laws, make it easier to follow the rules and provide clarity to all the stakeholders working in the health sector.
–IANS
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