Question : SMART CARD PROJECTS

(a) whether the Government has received representations to revoke or cancel the Notification dated 15th June, 2010 amending the provisions contained in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 regarding Smart Card projects;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken/proposed to be taken thereon;

(c) whether it is a fact that the said notification has become uncalled for as it has curtailed the powers of State Governments of having additional memory data in smart cards; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI SARVEY SATHYANARAYANA)

(a) to (d): The Vehicle Registration Certificates and Driving Licenses have validity throughout the territory of India. Uniform document (smart card) standards and uniform data in visual and machine readable zones are required to ensure that smart card issued by one State is readable in the other States. To ensure inter- operability, a draft Notification dated 10th February, 2010 was published in the official Gazette proposing to amend Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and inviting objections or suggestions from the public within a period of forty five days. No objections or suggestions were received during this period. The amendment was, therefore, notified vide notification G.S.R. 504(E) dated 15th June, 2010. Some representations were received after the publication of final notification and the same are being examined so that the specifications are technology neutral while providing optimal available solution.