Lok Sabha Question No. 464 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: Setting up of Driving Training Centres
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 464

## ANSWERED ON 03 RD  APRIL, 2025

## SETTING UP OF DRIVING TRAINING CENTRES

## *464.         SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)    the assessment of the effectiveness of the "Scheme for Setting up of Driving Training Centres (DTC)" in reducing the number of road accidents caused by driver error since its initiation;
- (b)    the mechanism to ensure that this assistance is accessible to all stakeholders, particularly those in rural or underserved areas;
- (c)      whether  the  Government  has  any  monitoring  mechanism  to ensure the fair distribution of funds for the said purpose and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)      the  number  of  new  jobs  the  Government  expects  through  the establishment of these Driving Training Centres both in terms of direct employment  within  the  centres  and  in  the  broader  transport  sector given the growing shortage of commercial vehicle drivers;
- (e)    the steps taken to ensure timely implementation of this scheme across all districts; and
- (f)       whether  the  scheme  has  been  extended beyond 2020 owing to delays or challenges in setting up such Centres pan India and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) to (f)   A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (f) OF THE LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  464  FOR  ANSWER  ON  03.04.2025 ASKED  BY  SHRI  MANICKAM  TAGORE  B  AND  SHRI  VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH  REGARDING SETTING UP OF DRIVING TRAINING CENTRES.

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(a)      The Government  in  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways (MoRTH)  implements  a central sector scheme  for setting up of Institutes  of  Driving  Training  and  Research  (IDTR),  Regional  Driving Training  Centres  (RDTCs)  and  Driving  Training  Centres  (DTCs)  in States/UTs.  The aim of the scheme is to improve road safety by way of inculcating good driving habits through driving training in systematic and scientific manner, issue of driving licenses based on an  objective  scientific  process  of  testing  skills  and  employment generation in transport sector.

Till  date,  total  87  Institutes/Centers  have  been  sanctioned  under  the scheme so far:

| Type of Centre   | Sanctioned   |   Operational |
|------------------|--------------|---------------|
| IDTR             | 31           |            22 |
| RDTC             | 15*          |             2 |
| DTC              | 41           |             3 |
| Total            | 87           |            27 |

Central  Institute  of  Road  Transport  (CIRT),  Pune  is  the  Program Monitoring Agency under the scheme. As per report of the CIRT, Pune, a total 9,21,448 trainees were trained at the operational IDTRs during the  period  from  2015-16  to  2022-23.  As  per  the  Program  Monitoring Agency's report :

-  Increase in the Number of Drivers Trained: The scheme shows a significant  increase  in  the  number  of  trained  drivers  across various states over the years, indicating the growing reach of the program.
-  Distribution  of  Training  Across  States:  Different  States  have varied levels of participation, with some  states  like Delhi, Haryana  and  Uttarakhand  having  higher  numbers  of  trained candidates at the operational IDTRs, while others like Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland have relatively lower numbers.

##  Yearly Trends:

- o The total number of trained drivers peaked in 2019-20 with 159,182 candidates.
- o Thereafter,there was a decrease in the number of candidates  trained  in  2020-21  and  2021-22  (due  to  the COVID-19  pandemic  and  other  factors)  with  the  recovery starting to show in 2022-23 with 75,235 candidates.
- (b)    To ensure that assistance under the scheme is accessible to all stakeholders, especially those in rural or underserved areas, a robust and  well-structured  mechanism  has  been  prescribed  in  the  scheme guidelines. The mechanism is designed to reach all regions, prioritizing  rural  and  aspirational  districts.  Brief  of  the  same  is  as under:
1. IDTR/RDTC Criteria: The criteria for setting up of IDTR and RDTC is  based  on  projected  population  i.e.  one  IDTR  per  2.5  crore population  and  one  RDTC  per  1.00  crore  population  in  the States/UTs.  In  cases  of  States/UTs  whose  project  population  is less  than  1.00  crore  and  which  have  not  been  sanctioned IDTR/RDTC under the scheme so far, are also eligible for sanction of one RDTC per State/UT. The establishment of the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) is strategically planned so that  no  IDTR  is  farther  than  8-10  km  from  the  main  city  or municipal limits. This ensures accessibility to the broader population, including those from rural areas who might otherwise face difficulties in accessing training centers.
2. Driving Training Centers (DTC): To increase the reach of driving training  initiatives,  the  scheme  of  setting  up  Driving  Training Centers  (DTCs)  is  implemented  in  all  Aspirational  districts  and other  rural  areas.  Priority  is  accorded  in  the  first  instance  for sanctioning one project per district.
3. Additional  DTCs  based  on  population  Size:  For  districts  with larger  population,  the  scheme  allows  for  the  consideration  of additional DTCs based on the following criteria:
- o
- One additional DTC for districts with a population between 10 lakh and 20 lakh.
- o Two additional DTCs for districts with a population between
- 20 lakh and 30 lakh.
- o Three additional DTCs  for districts with a population
- between 30 lakh and 40 lakh.
- o Four additional DTCs for districts with a population over 40 lakh.

Importantly, DTCs are sanctioned in the districts where no IDTR RDTC  have  been  sanctioned,  ensuring  that  underserved or regions are prioritized for development.

4. Eligibility of Entities: The scheme is open to a variety of entities, such as State Undertakings, NGOs, Trusts, Cooperative Societies,  Vehicle  Manufacturers,  and  Firms-essentially  any legal entity registered under State or Central Government laws. This broad eligibility ensures that a diverse range of stakeholders, including those with local knowledge and experience,  can  participate  in  the  development  and  delivery  of the  driving  training  centers,  further  ensuring  that  the  scheme reaches all corners of the country.

In summary, the mechanism emphasizes inclusivity by prioritizing rural and  underserved  regions,  ensuring  accessibility  based  on  population the implementation  of  the  scheme.  This  approach  aims  to  provide  equal all stakeholders, especially in rural areas where access to such services and allowing a wide range of entities to contribute to opportunities for driving training, ultimately benefiting is traditionally limited.

- (c)    The Government has a robust monitoring mechanism in place to ensure  the  fair  distribution  of  funds  for  the  implementation  of  the Scheme.  The  process  is  structured  to  ensure  transparency  and accountability in the execution of the projects. The key steps involved in the process are as follows:
1. Preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR): The first step involves  various  entities  preparing  a  DPR.  This  report  includes the layout plan as per the Scheme guidelines and the preparation of the Civil Estimate,etc.
-  Categorical  Recommendations:  Proposals  are  recommended  by the Transport Commissioner/Divisional Commissioner/District Collector, as the case may be.
2. Scrutiny  of  DPR  by  Project  Management  Agency  and  Final Recommendation: The DPR is scrutinized by the Project Management Agency to ensure its alignment with the scheme's objectives. Once the review is complete, the Project Management  Agency  provides  the  final  recommendation  for sanctioning.
- (d)     There  is  shortage  of  trained  commercial  vehicle  drivers  in  the country. The establishment of these centres provides employment to significant number of persons for operation of IDTRs, RDTCs and DTCs and  indirectly  creates  thousands  of  jobs  in  related  industries.  The establishment of these training centres is expected to:

o

- o Increase job opportunities for new drivers.
- o Reduce gaps in the commercial vehicle driver workforce as demand continues to grow.
- o Lead to potential growth in employment in related sectors such as logistics, transportation management and vehicle maintenance.
- (e)      To  ensure  the  timely  implementation  of  the  Scheme  across  all districts, the following steps are taken:

o

- o Coordinate with State Governments, Transport Departments and  Implementing  Agencies  at  regular  intervals  to  review the status of the Projects.
- o Ensure timely disbursement of funds.
- o Conduct  site  visits  by  the  Program  Monitoring  Agency  to ensure adherence to standards.
- (f)       The  scheme  has  been  approved  for  implementation  during  the 15 th   Finance Commission Cycle period i.e. FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26. Based  on  the  feedback  received,  the  Government  has  reviewed  and revised  the  scheme  guidelines  in  January,  2025  incorporating  some changes such as enhanced central assistance for setting up of DTCs, Training Testing cluster approach, priority to the proposals under the cluster approach, etc.

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