All You Need to Know About Car Insurance in DigiLocker

What is DigiLocker

DigiLocker is a digital platform that is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity). It has been developed in the form of a mobile application that allows citizens of India to carry their identification and mandatory vehicle-related documents in digital form. Citizens can store any type of documents such as their driver's license, registration certificate, etc.

The application does not store scanned copies of documents, rather, an official and government-approved format that cannot be downloaded and can only be viewed through the DigiLocker application. which is valid as per the law. This makes the documents acceptable to government authorities and transport departments. Hence, with the DigiLocker app, car owners can simply drive their vehicles on Indian roads without having to carry physical documents or keep multiple scanned copies in their devices, which can be shown as valid proof whenever required.

Store Car Insurance Documents in Digilocker

With the recent amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019passed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) authorizing the official use of the DigiLocker app, the Government of India has taken a vital step to implement paperless governance. It is beneficial for both - the reduction in administrational overheads of the government through minimized use of paper as well as convenience for the citizens of India.

All car insurance companies are associated with DigiLocker, and this allows easy storage of digital car insurance documents in the DigiLocker. The process to store the documents is quite easy as one can simply download the app and sign in using an Aadhaar verification system.

Benefits of Carrying Digital Motor Insurance Documents

One of the biggest benefits of carrying digital car insurance documents is the convenience of driving on roads without worrying about the hard copy. Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019 have bought about harsh penalties for traffic violations and stricter punishments. Hence, not having valid documents can call for serious consequences and traffic challans. While all of us try to remain as careful as possible when it comes to carrying all mandatory documents, the possibility of missing the physical copies is low but never zero.

This makes the introduction of the DigiLocker app a big step towards facilitating convenience for the citizens, as they are permitted to present documents digitally through this app. Moving forward, owner-drivers can avoid being charged with fines which have seen a significant hike with the new amendment in the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019.

Hence, the DigiLocker has become extremely useful as it allows you to carry your documents all the time with you and takes off the risk of getting caught by the traffic police for not keeping valid documentation while driving on the road.

Other Mandatory Documents that can be Digitally Carried in India

When it comes to driving on Indian roads, one of the biggest hassles has always been the inconvenience of carrying multiple documents in physical form. With DigiLocker, apart from storing your motor insurance documents, you can also carry the following list of mandatory documents on your device:

• Registration certificate (RC):The most important traffic document is the vehicle’s registration certificate. Carrying an RC is mandatory, and can be inspected anytime on the road as a valid RC shows that the vehicle is being legally driven.
• Car Insurance documents: According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every owner-driver is required to carry valid motor insurance. Not having one or carrying expired car insurance deems illegal driving and can call for serious consequences.
• Pollution under control (PUC) certificate: With the rise in pollution levels in India, the government is getting stricter when it comes to the pollution emitted by vehicles. A PUC certificate shows that the pollution/gases emitted by the vehicle are under control and up to the standards set by the government. Not carrying a PUC certificate can also call for hefty fines. So make sure that you keep them handy in a digital format.

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• Driving license: Needless to say, a driving license is a critical document. Driving vehicles without a valid license is a strictly punishable offense and can call for legal consequences.

To Conclude

The introduction of DigiLocker has been an excellent step by the Government of India in facilitating the issuance and verification of documents in an easier way. Higher penalties and stricter punishments being levied by authorities for traffic violations are certainly a concern for everyone. However, DigiLocker is an extremely useful way to drive legally by carrying all your documents conveniently in your devices in a digital format.

It is important to note that this facilitation is only useful if you have valid car insurance documents. Hence, it is important to always carry valid motor insurance and renew it periodically so that you can drive legally and also be covered from unforeseen accidents.