Delhi government's progressive move: From April, you can give your mother's name while applying for a driving licence

In what could be called as a progressive move, Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government has allowed applicants to give their mother's name while applying for a permanent driving licence in New Delhi. 

Presently, the authorities allowed only father's or a husband's name from the applicants. 

Quoting an official who is closed to the development, a report in the TOI stated that the modification would indeed be a big change as the permanent driving licence also acts as an important identity proof.

“This is a big step in bringing gender equality at the transport department and we plan to bring in this change by April,” said a senior transport department official.

“This would be a big help specifically for those who for some reason do not want to provide their father’s name or have a single parent,” he said.

“We are modifying our software to bring in these changes. We believe the software tweaks should be ready this week,” the official further added. 

Currently, New Delhi has 13 regional transport offices (RTOs) and around 1,600 permanent driving licences are issued in the capital every working day. 

About four lakh licences are issued in a year and almost one lakh applications are rejected on different grounds, the newspaper report stated. 

Earlier this month, the AAP government had informed the Delhi high court that it has decided to videograph the practical test for motor vehicle licences to bring more transparency in the process of issuing driving permits.

The Delhi government told a bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar that the entire exercise had been put into operation, starting on March 12, in all the 13 zonal offices of the transport department, and an agency appointed to record the video.

The government had earlier told the Delhi high court it had taken steps to control the issuance of fake licences and had also revoked licences that had been improperly granted.

The transport department had displayed the list of such revoked licences on its website and has taken steps to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, it said.