New Delhi: In a bid to overhaul the cumbersome process of obtaining a driver’s license in India and enhance road safety measures, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced significant reforms set to come into effect from June 1, 2024. These reforms aim to streamline the process, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and ensure better-trained drivers on Indian roads.
Key Highlights of the Revised Regulations:
1. Driving tests at accredited private schools: The traditional mandatory driving test at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) will be replaced by the option to take the test at authorized private driving schools. Upon successful completion, candidates will receive a certificate, eliminating the need for further testing at the RTO.
2. Stricter penalties: The new rules introduce stricter penalties for driving without a valid license, with fines now reaching up to ₹2,000. Minors caught driving will face more severe penalties, including a ₹25,000 fine, potential action against parents, and cancellation of the vehicle’s registration certificate.
3. Eco-friendly initiatives: The MoRTH is implementing eco-friendly measures to reduce vehicular pollution and promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This includes phasing out 9,000 outdated government vehicles and raising emission standards as part of broader environmental efforts.
4. Simplified application process: The paperwork required for applying for a driver’s license has been simplified. Additionally, the Ministry has announced a revised fee structure for various types of licenses, effective June 1, 2024.
Revised fee structure:
- Learner’s license: ₹200
- Learner’s license renewal: ₹200
- International license: ₹1,000
- Permanent license: ₹200
- Permanent license renewal: ₹200
- Issue of a renewed driver’s license: ₹200
How to apply for a license online:
The introduction of an online platform has made the application process more convenient for applicants. Here are the steps to apply for a license online:
1. Visit https://sarathi.parivahan.gov.in/.
2. Select the concerned state.
3. Click on “New Driving Licence” from the “Driving Licence” menu.
4. Enter your “Learning Licence Number” and “Date of Birth” to proceed.
5. Fill out the application form.
6. Click on the next button to proceed.
7. Visit RTO on the scheduled date with the original documents and fee slip.
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Batumi (Georgia), Jul 26 (PTI): Young Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh held her nerves to hold stalwart Koneru Humpy to a draw in game 1 of the FIDE Women's World Cup final, with both players having their share of opportunities to take the lead here on Saturday.
The draw with black means Humpy, the two-time World Rapid champion, holds a slight edge going in the second and final game under the classical chess rules in the two-game mini-match, and should the deadlock continue, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.
Humpy employed the Queen's gambit accepted as black and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating game right out of the opening as Divya, 19, came up with a piece sacrifice early to deny the black king the right to castle.
Humpy was the first to err and, according to computers, Divya had things under control on the 14th move. However in her bid to recover the extra material, the Nagpur girl, who has secured a place in the Candidates tournament with her sterling performance here, missed a promising continuation.
What followed the exchange of all minor pieces and the ensuing queen and rook endgame gave enough counter play to both players. The game was eventually drawn after Humpy sacrificed her rook to force perpetual checks.
"The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn,
which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white," said Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, an Arjuna awardee and the first Indian to get a chess Grandmaster norm.
"However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead.
"Humpy, too, erred at this stage and instead of moving the King to Queen side, moved it to the King side. Divya, on move 14, could have obtained a crushing attack by threatening a mate by developing her Queen. Instead she chose to exchange a pair of Bishops first, which enabled Humpy to defend her King by returning the piece," said Thipsay.
"Players thus reached a balanced Queen and two Rooks ending. Divya continued to play ambitiously and tried to attack Humpy’s King but the latter defended accurately and the game was drawn in 41 moves by perpetual check," he added.
In the play-off for the third place, Chinese players Zhongyi Tan, the former women's world champion and top seed Lei Tingjie also decided to split points out of a Queen’s gambit declined game.
The opening raised visions of a close contest between the two but having been knocked out of title race in the previous round, none of them wanted to take any huge risk. It was still a middle game when the players shook hands.
With the top two positions sealed for the Indians, the berth to the next Candidates is also assigned, while the player finishing third will also get an entry to the premier event scheduled for 2026.
Results: Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind); Zhongyi Tan (Chn) drew with Tingjie Lei (Chn).