Rise above party on Motor Vehicles Bill
It is unfortunate(दुर्भाग्य/खेदजनक) that consensus(आम सहमति /मेल) has eluded that crucial piece of legislation(कानून/विधि निर्माण), the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Rajya Sabha, after having been passed by the Lower House in 2017. India has the dubious(संदिग्ध/अस्पष्ट) distinction(अंतर/भेद) of leading the world when it comes to road accidents and fatalities(मौत/विपत्ति), and what is essential(आवश्यक) is legal, institutional and societal reform to quickly and proactively bring down the casualty numbers nationally.
The Bill seeks to update the three-decades-old Motor Vehicles Act by hefty increases(वृद्धि) in penalties for traffic violations(उल्लंघन/भंग), rationalising third-party insurance, revamping norms for Internet-enabled taxi aggregators, holding parents/guardians accountable for juvenile(किशोर/अल्पायु) drivers’ handiwork and instituting clear-cut liability(दायित्व/ देयता) norms for automotive(मोटर वाहन) producers in the case of vehicle defects and for builders in the case of infrastructure flaws. The Opposition charge that more centralised licensing norms for taxi aggregators would bypass state governments is disingenuous(सूझ-बूझवाला/साधन-संपन्न); we do need standardised guidelines for national operations. The claim thatstiff(कठोर/अत्यधिक) on-the-spot fines for violating traffic rules would be beyond the pocket of most is plain lame. We do need hefty fines to deter(रोकना/निवारण करना) unruly or unlawful traffic behaviour. The Bill proposes to raise the fine for rash driving from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000; driving without a licence will attract a minimum fine of Rs 5,000 against Rs 500 now. The Motor Vehicles Bill, however, must give due regard to road safety and correcting faulty road engineering with speed. What seems lacking in the Bill is scope for regular audit of road engineering, complete with functional state road safety councils and district road safety committees. MPs must rise above party divides in the matter of improving India’s road safety record.
Important Vocabulary
1.Consensus(आम सहमति /मेल)
Synonyms: accord, consent, harmony, unanimity, unity
Antonyms: denial, disagreement, dissension, opposition, refusal
2.Distinction(अंतर/भेद
Synonyms: characteristic, contrast, difference, discrepancy, discrimination
Antonyms: accord, agreement, concurrence, conformity, harmony
3.Disingenuous(सूझ-बूझवाला/साधन-संपन्न);
Synonyms: deceitful, dishonest, false, unfair, artful
Antonyms: fair, frank, honest, just, open
4.Deter(रोकना/निवारण करना)
Synonyms: avert, block, dampen, daunt, discourage
Antonyms: advance, aid, allow, assist, calm
5.Liability(दायित्व/ देयता)
Synonyms: accountability, burden, culpability, debt, duty
Antonyms: asset, irresponsibility, unaccountability
6.Juvenile(किशोर/अल्पायु)
Synonyms: youthful, adolescent, blooming, budding, developing,
Antonyms: experienced, mature, old, older, shrinking
