Soon, No Minimum Education Qualification Required To Obtain Driving Licences In India; Set To Boost Job Opportunities

In a bid to boost employment opportunities, the government has decided to do away with the requirement of minimum educational qualification for obtaining driving license, the Ministry of Road Transport said on Tuesday (18 June), reports The Tribune.

According to the report, currently, under Rule 8 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, a transport vehicle driver needs to have passed eighth class.

“In a move to benefit skilled persons from economically underprivileged sections of the society, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to remove the requirement of minimum educational qualification for driving a transport vehicle,” the Ministry of Road Transport said in an official statement.

There are large numbers of unemployed persons especially in rural areas of the country, who may not have a formal education, but are otherwise literate and skilled, it said.

“Hence it was felt that driving being more a matter of skill than of educational competence, the condition of minimum educational qualification acts as a hindrance for the otherwise eligible unemployed youth,” said the statement.

The statement added that the decision to remove the requirement will open up employment opportunities for a large number of unemployed persons, especially the youth in the country. The decision will also help in meeting the shortage of nearly 22 lakh drivers in the transport and logistics sector, which is hindering its growth, it said.

“However, while removing the requirement of a minimum educational qualification, the ministry has strongly emphasised upon training and skill testing of drivers so that road safety is not compromised in any way,” the statement said.

As per the report, the process to amend Rule 8 of Central Motor Vehicles 1989 and a draft notification in this regard will be issued soon, it added.