Of late, the government has been tightening the noose around illegal government documents racket in the country. This time around, the latest information revealed by Nitin Gadkari, Union Road TransportMinister states that around 30 per cent of the driving licences issued in the country are bogus. In order to address the issue, the government has recently made it mandatory for applicants to provide their Aadhaar card details while filing for a new one or renewing their existing licence.
Providing Aadhaar card details makes the task easier as a unique ID has been assigned for each individual, thereby making it difficult for bogus applicants to apply for multiple licences from different RTOs. This new revelation had been made during the minister’s addressing at the Smart Hackathon 2017. Reports indicate that the government has set up a centralised database for licences issued in the country. Once the applicant’s details have been saved on the system, a new applicant with similar details will not be processed and the application will be immediately suspended.
Along with preventing bogus applications, the move will also aid in making the process more transparent and curb corruption at grass root level. Additionally, the government has also made it mandatory for RTOs to issue a licence within three days of an individual clearing the driving test. This decision is likely to help the government streamline the process as well as ensure that only genuine individuals hold a valid driving licence.