As part of a big leap towards digital India mission, the Centre on Wednesday announced that citizens can now access their "virtual" driving licences and vehicle registration certificates (RC) on their smartphones as and when required. This will enable them not to carry the "real" plastic cards. These essential documents can be accessed through a mobile application using Digilocker.
The digital driving licence and vehicle registration documents will be available on citizens' cellphones via the Digilocker mobile app and this will ensure authenticated on the spot verification by various law enforcement authorities like the traffic police.
"The system will not only eliminate corruption but is a mega step towards realising Prime Minister's Digital India drive. The citizens can use this at airports as valid identity document," Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said after launching the integration of Digilocker with the Driving licence and Vehicle Registration system.
IT and law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who launched the system along with Gadkari, said there are 21 lakh registered users of Digilocker. Gadkari said citizens can use these as valid identification at airports too.
According to Gadkari, this move is vital for the transport sector where 19.5 crore vehicles are registered and there are 10 crore driving licences. "If someone is stopped anywhere, he or she can show driving licence on mobile phone. This will benefit common masses and ensure a corruption free, transparent system devoid of red tapism. Crores of people will benefit," he said.
He said the proposed new motor vehicle legislation will have provisions for online driving licences. The Minister said the transport Ministry is actively pursuing the digitisation of documents and this will help in enforcement of traffic laws and enhance citizen convenience.
Digilocker integration with the ministry will make available over 19 crore digital vehicle RCs and about 10 crore driving licences in citizens' Digilocker accounts and the digitally signed accounts will be at par with the physical certificates as per the IT Act, 2000.
"Technology is a big enabler. Digital India is designed to empower India and Indians," Prasad said on the occasion. Digilocker is a key initiative under Digital India and serves as a platform for issuance of documents and certificates in a digital way, thus eliminating the use of physical documents.
Citizens who sign up for the Digilocker account get dedicated cloud storage space which can be used for storing key documents like voter ID, driving licences and vehicle registration certificates.
Close on the heels of notification of digital locker rules, the ministry of electronics and IT said empanelment of digital locker service providers may come about by the end of the financial year.
"Today, digital locker is only provided by the government if we want that reach to expand to every issuer... There may be private issuers like banks or anyone... For that reach to go out to everyone, we need multiple agencies to be able to provide digital locker services," Ajay Kumar Pandey, Additional Secretary, ministry of electronics and IT, said.