The Assam Transport Department has ordered an inquiry after reports revealed a large-scale racket involving fake Pollution Under Control certificates for Assam-registered vehicles, allegedly issued from centres in Haryana and Rajasthan without any physical emission testing.

What is the issue?

• Investigations indicate that middlemen in Assam coordinate with rogue PUC centres outside the State to generate certificates digitally.
• Vehicles never leave Assam, yet certificates are issued within minutes, often at lower costs than authorised centres.
• In some cases, certificates are allegedly digitally edited to alter the issuing authority’s name.
• This violates mandatory emission testing norms, undermining the integrity of India’s emission control framework.

Scale of the problem

• Assam has around 50 lakh registered vehicles, with nearly 7,000 new registrations daily.
• Kamrup (Metro) alone accounts for nearly 12 lakh vehicles.
• Legitimate PUC fees should generate about ₹25 crore annually, excluding penalties—much of which is now reportedly lost due to fraud.

Why it matters

• Public health risk: Vehicles without proper emission checks emit 2–5 times more pollutants, worsening air quality—especially harmful for children and the elderly.
• Environmental impact: Fake certification allows highly polluting vehicles to remain on roads unchecked.
• Governance failure: The scam exposes weaknesses in inter-state regulatory coordination and digital oversight.
• Revenue leakage: The State loses significant non-tax revenue meant for transport regulation.

Legal and regulatory framework

• India’s emission control regime is governed by the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
• Rule 116 makes physical emission testing mandatory and places responsibility on States to regulate authorised PUC centres.
• Cross-state issuance of PUC certificates without testing is illegal.

Way forward

• Conduct a time-bound, technology-driven audit of all PUC certificates issued to Assam vehicles.
• Introduce real-time linkage between vehicle location, testing equipment, and certificate generation.
• Strengthen inter-state coordination and accountability of authorised centres.
• Treat vehicular pollution enforcement as a public health priority, not merely a compliance issue.

Exam Hook – Prelims 

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Pollution Under Control certificates can be issued digitally without physical testing under Indian law.
2. Rule 116 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules mandates physical emission testing for issuing PUC certificates.

Correct answer: 2 only

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