State not empowered to frame rules for motor driving schools: Allahabad High Court
Prayagraj(PTI): The Allahabad High Court has held that Section 27 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 empowers the central government to make rules for licensing and regulating motor driving training schools.The state government is not competent to frame rules in this regard.
The Uttar Pradesh government had issued an order in 2023 laying down Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for private motor driving training schools and their operation which was challenged before the High Court.
Allowing the writ petition filed by UP Motor Training School Owners Association and seven others, a high court bench comprising Justices Anjani Kumar Mishra and Jayant Banerji struck down the government order.
The counsel for the petitioners had submitted that the central government alone has the power to make rules for the purpose of licensing and regulating schools or establishments for imparting instructions in driving of motor vehicles and related matters.
The bench in its order dated October 25, 2024 observed, "Section 28 of the Act which empowers the state government to frame rules clearly bars it from framing rules regarding which the power vests with the central government."
"Various paras and clauses of the impugned Government Order by which the petitioner is aggrieved, in our considered opinion clearly fall within the domain of rule-making power of Central Government alone," the bench said.
"The submission of learned Standing Counsel that the impugned Government Order merely supplements the rules framed by the central government cannot be accepted," the court added.
Welcoming the judgment, KM Bajpai, President of UP Motor Training School Owners Association said, "We expect that while taking any further decision, the state would take care of the interest of motor driving school operators."
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
