TOPIC OF THE DAY:-
“Change gears: amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act”
India’s law governing motor vehicles and transport is archaic, lacking the provisions necessary to manage fast motorisation. The lacunae in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, require to be addressed to improve road safety, ensure orderly use of vehicles and expand public transport. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha last year, seeks to do this, but it has now run into opposition in the Rajya Sabha because of its perceived shift of power from the States to the Centre. The issue is not one of legislative competence; as the subject is in the Concurrent List, Parliament can make a law defining powers available to the States. Some State governments are concerned about the new provisions, Sections 66A and 88A, which will empower the Centre to form a National Transportation Policy through a process of consultation, and not concurrence. The changes will also enable Centrally-drafted schemes to be issued for national, multi-modal and inter-State movement of goods and passengers, for rural mobility and even last-mile connectivity. Since all this represents a new paradigm that would shake up the sector, several States have opposed the provisions as being anti-federal. Doing nothing, however, is no longer an option. The passenger transport sector operating within cities and providing inter-city services has grown amorphously, with vested interests exploiting the lack of transparency and regulatory bottlenecks. With a transparent system, professional new entrants can enter the sector. As things stand, State-run services have not kept pace with the times. Major investments made in the urban metro rail systems are yielding poor results in the absence of last-mile connectivity services. Creating an equitable regulatory framework for the orderly growth of services is critical. This could be achieved through changes to the MV Act that set benchmarks for States. Enabling well-run bus services to operate across States with suitable permit charges is an imperative to meet the needs of a growing economy. Regulatory changes introduced in Europe over the past few years for bus services have fostered competition, reduced fares and increased services operating across European Union member-states. Other aspects of the proposed amendments deal with road safety. These, however, are likely to achieve little without strong enforcement by the States. The effort to curb institutionalised corruption at Regional Transport Offices by making it possible for dealers to directly register new vehicles, and enabling online applications for driving licences is welcome. Care is needed to see that other measures, such as sharply enhancing fines for rule violations, do not only result in greater harassment. It is the certainty of enforcement, zero tolerance and escalating penalties that will really work. There are some new provisions to harness technology, including CCTV monitoring, to improve road safety, but these cannot produce results when there is no professional accident investigation agency to determine best practices.
MEANING AND WORD:-
1) Archaic
Meaning: Very old or old-fashioned.
Example: “prisons are run on archaic methods”
Synonyms: Antiquated, Antique
Antonyms: New, Modern
2) Lacunae
Meaning: An unfilled space; a gap.
Example: “the journal has filled a lacuna in Middle Eastern studies”
3) Perceived
Meaning: Interpret or regard (someone or something) in a particular way.
Example: “if Guy does not perceive himself as disabled, nobody else should”
Synonyms: View, Regard
4) Competence
Meaning: The legal authority of a court or other body to deal with a particular matter.
Example: “the court’s competence has been accepted to cover these matters”
Synonyms: Authority, Power
5) Concurrent
Meaning: Existing, happening, or done at the same time.
Example: “there are three concurrent art fairs around the city”
Synonyms: Simultaneous, Coincident
6) Concerned
Meaning: Make (someone) anxious or worried; regard it as important to do something.
Example: “the roof of the barn concerns me because eventually it will fall in”
7) Empower
Meaning: Give (someone) the authority or power to do something.
Example: “members are empowered to audit the accounts of limited companies”
Synonyms: Authorize, License
Antonyms: Forbid
8) Mobility
Meaning: The ability to move or be moved freely and easily.
Example: “this exercise helps retain mobility in the damaged joints”
Synonyms: Vigour, Strength
9) Paradigm
Meaning: A typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.
Example: “society’s paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’”
10) Shake up
Meaning: A large change in the way something is organized.
Example: The company is undergoing a radical shake-up.
Synonyms: Change
11) Amorphously
Meaning: Without a clearly defined shape or form.
Example: “an amorphous, characterless conurbation”
Synonyms: Formless, Unformed
Antonyms: Shaped, Definite
12) Vested
Meaning: Vested shares, pension plans, etc. can be kept by an employee who has worked the necessary number of years for a particular company
Example: He chose to receive his vested benefits in a single lump-sum payment.
13) Exploiting
Meaning: To use something in a way that helps you.
Example: We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
14) Bottlenecks
Meaning: A problem that delays progress.
Example: Is there any way of getting around this bureaucratic bottleneck?
15) Entrants
Meaning: A person or group that enters or takes part in something.
Example: “the prize will be awarded to the entrant who wins the tiebreak”
Synonyms: Beginner, Fresher
Antonyms: Veteran
16) Yielding
Meaning: Produce or generate (a result, gain, or financial return).
Example: “this method yields the same results”
Synonyms: Produce, Supply
17) Benchmarks
Meaning: A standard or point of reference against which things may be compared.
Example: “the pay settlement will set a benchmark for other employers and workers”
Synonyms: Standard, Guide
18) Imperative
Meaning: Of vital importance; crucial.
Example: “immediate action was imperative”
Synonyms: Exigent, Pressing
Antonyms: Unimportant, Optional
19) Fostered
Meaning: Encourage the development of (something, especially something desirable).
Example: “the teacher’s task is to foster learning”
Synonyms: Encourage, Promote
Antonyms: Neglect, Suppress
20) Enforcement
Meaning: The act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation.
Example: “the strict enforcement of environmental regulations”
Synonyms: Imposition, Discharge
21) Institutionalised
Meaning: If someone becomes institutionalized, they gradually become less able to think and act independently, because of having lived for a long time under the rules of an institution.
Example: We need to avoid long-stay patients in the hospital becoming institutionalized.
22) Enhancing
Meaning: Intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of.
Example: “his refusal does nothing to enhance his reputation”
Synonyms: Increase, Intensify
Antonyms: Diminish, Mar
23) Harassment
Meaning: Aggressive pressure or intimidation.
Example: “The state also grants us the right to pursue this belief without any form of persecution or harassment”
Synonyms: Persecution, Pressure
Antonyms: Cooperation, Assistance
24) Zero tolerance
Meaning: The act of punishing all criminal or unacceptable behaviour severely, even if it is not very serious.
Example: The police are exercising a new policy of zero tolerance against motoring offenders.
25) Escalating
Meaning: Increase rapidly.
Example: “the price of tickets escalated”
Synonyms: Soar, Climb
Antonyms: Plunge
