By Abhinav Pandey

Executive Summary:

Parivahan Sewa is an integrated online portal set up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to bring improvement and e-governance in transport-related services in India. It has, no doubt, dramatically modified access to basic services and facilitated more transparency. Yet, it is greatly inhibited by issues such as digital illiteracy, technical glitches, and uneven implementation.

Background:

The Indian government launched Parivahan Sewa within the ambit of its Digital India initiative in 2015 based on the idea of revolutionizing the transport sector with an eye toward curbing bureaucratic delays. Before this, people had to rush to the RTOs – regional transport offices – for any vehicle-related services, adding up to waiting time and operational inefficiency coupled with opportunities for corruption. The platform aims at seamless and less human interference-based processes that facilitate faster and more accessible services.

Key Features:

Parivahan Sewa provides key features in designing transport-related services.

1. A Unified Portal: Citizens can get all forms of vehicle registrations and permits and even the issue of driving licenses from a single portal with the least number of visits to the RTOs.
2. Sarathi: A completely integrated system for driving licenses, handling new applications, renewals, and permits proficiently. Moreover, it integrates information with the national database for easy access everywhere in the country.
3. Vahan: A comprehensive system designed for vehicle-related services, encompassing registration, fitness certification, and tax payment. It enhances accountability while significantly reducing the risk of fraud.
4. National Permit System: Issues permits to commercial vehicles for hassle-free road transport across states and union territories.
5. E-Challan: An online platform for managing traffic violations where citizens can pay traffic fines online.

Key Issues:

While Parivahan Sewa has transformed transport services, it faces several challenges:

1. Digital Divide: A vast proportion of the population does not have the general use of digital instruments and internet connectivity in rural areas. This limits their use of the platform.
2. Technical Glitches: Users generally faced downtimes, slow processing speeds, and jerky functionalities, which further deteriorated their experience and trust in the platform. There were problems on the payment front. Applications to driving schools would be delayed in some instances and even prevent applicants from being able to receive an outwardly printed version of their payment receipt-an applicant requirement for the RTOs to process applications.
3. Uneven Implementation: Even though a central platform has been in place, implementation and the delivery of services differ from state to state and greatly depend on the availability of infrastructure and resources.
4. Cybersecurity Risks: Data centralization poses serious hazards regarding data privacy and cybersecurity and puts the platform at risk of breaches.

Recommendations:

To overcome the above and make Parivahan Sewa more efficient, the following are suggested:

1. An awareness and training program on digital literacy conducted by the government, especially in rural areas, would bridge the digital divide and provide equal access to services.
2. Strengthen the infrastructure of the site technically by increasing processing speed, reliability, and reducing system downtimes.
3. Work with states to harmonize processes, so that all states benefit equitably from what is at the platform’s disposal.
4. Guarantees on safeguarding user information and ensuring viability for the platform in the long term require frameworks be structured strongly on data protection and cybersecurity.

References

• Paytm. (2023). Guide to Parivahan Sewa services. Paytm Blog. Retrieved from https://paytm.com/blog/rto/guide-parivahan-sewa-services/
• Zee News. (2023). Driving licence application process: Fees, required documents, and use of Parivahan Sewa portal. Zee News. Retrieved from https://zeenews.india.com/india/driving-licence-application-process-fees-required-documents-and-use-of-parivahan-sewa-portal-2798347.html
• Popli, T. (2024). Parivahan Sewa: Revolutionizing India’s transport system. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@tanyapopli/parivahan-sewa-revolutionizing-indias-transport-system-4bc3e49e89f
• Bajaj Finserv. (2024). Parivahan Sewa: Online vehicle and driving licence services. Retrieved from https://www.bajajfinserv.in/insurance/parivahan-sewa
• Mathrubhumi. (2024). Parivahan Sarathi driving license applications glitch: Complaints surge as website faces frequent issues. Mathrubhumi English. Retrieved from https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/parivahan-sarathi-driving-license-applications-glitch-1.10002926