Aadhaar Mandatory for Driving License

The Central Government of India may soon ask all the Indian states to make the submission of Aadhaar details mandatory for availing a driving license. This step aims to stop the people from illegally holding multiple Driving Licenses (DL) under the same name. This strict measure thus promises to stop the excessive issuance of DLs. It will also help in suspending licenses and identifying fake licenses. The biometric details stored in the Aadhaar card can help the traffic police in putting a stop to such illegal activities.

The transport ministry has already initiated the necessary steps for implementing this process. Since the state governments are in charge of issuing DLs, the central government will encourage the state ministries to embrace this system. The quicker the states adopt this system, the better it is for the RTO to follow a systematized procedure of issuing DLs. The process of obtaining a DL is not very difficult. Thus the confiscation of driving licenses by traffic cops does not really work as a preemptive step as the wrong-doers can easily get a fresh DL made.

The Aadhaar card, which stores one's biometric data, serves as a single document that establishes an individual's identity. Therefore, RTOs are being equipped with devices that can record biometric data and cross-check it with the Aadhaar database for issuing Driving Licenses.

The Motor Vehicle Act is more than 30 years old, and the rules seem quite vague and unsuitable from a modern perspective, owing to the increasing amount of traffic mishaps and street accidents. After having considered the statistics from the past, the Government has concluded that increasing the fine for traffic rule violations and making Aadhaar mandatory can help curb the problems concerning accidents, duplicate driving licenses, and duplicate vehicle registrations.

If Aadhaar becomes mandatory for driving licenses and vehicle registrations, the government will inevitably gain superior administrative control. Simultaneously, transparency can be maintained through the digital platform powered by Aadhaar. Aadhaar has already become an important identification document required for bank accounts, filing IT returns, applications for new LPG connections, college admissions, board exams, PAN card, and various other welfare programs and subsidies from the government. Linking Aadhaar to Driving License will surely prove to be a largely beneficial move for India's law and order.