The Union government has increased the renewal fee for registration of vehicles over 20 years old to double the previous rate across India, excluding the National Capital Region.
Renewal charges for vehicles older than 15 years have been set at ₹2,000 for motorcycles, ₹5,000 for three-wheelers, and ₹10,000 for light motor vehicles. For imported vehicles over 20 years old, the renewal fee will be ₹20,000 for two- and three-wheelers and ₹80,000 for four-wheelers. These rates are exclusive of GST, according to a gazette notification issued on Wednesday.
The changes were introduced through an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, following a draft notification issued in February proposing the revisions. The move is expected to encourage owners of old vehicles to switch to newer, less polluting alternatives.
In the National Capital Region, however, end-of-life vehicles are already banned under a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that upheld a National Green Tribunal directive — prohibiting petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. The matter is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court once again, which, in an interim order, has directed authorities not to take coercive action against such vehicles.
Aadhar linking on Vahan, Sarathi portals
Starting in August, many vehicle owners and driving licence holders were sent SMS alerts urging them to update and confirm their mobile numbers through the Aadhaar authentication process on Vahan and Sarathi databases maintained by the ministry. Since then, many citizens have questioned the legality, asking if the same will be used for surveillance.
According to a media report, officials have not yet clarified the reasons for the directive or how binding it will be.
An office memorandum issued by the ministry on July 4 noted that many vehicle owners and driving licence holders have not updated their mobile numbers in the Vahan and Sarathi databases. As a result, key service-related alerts, messages, and statutory notices are failing to reach them, delaying compliance and necessary action. The memorandum added that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been tasked with updating and verifying the communication details, particularly mobile numbers, to ensure accurate and timely delivery of information.
Meanwhile, the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), a leading non-profit advocating digital rights and privacy, has written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) urging it to provide alternative mechanisms that do not require Aadhaar authentication. The group also asked the ministry to avoid making Aadhaar linkage mandatory — directly or indirectly — for accessing transport-related services. Citing the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, SFLC stressed that Aadhaar-based authentication for driving licences and other transport services remains strictly voluntary.
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