Ministry Sets Up Road Safety Centre and Strengthens Highway Measures

10 Feb 2026 CW Team

The ministry envisages deployment of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) on National Highways with the objective of improving road safety and reducing accidents. ATMS will encompass artificial intelligence based Video Incident Detection and Enforcement Systems (VIDES), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, Pan to Zoom (PTZ) cameras and other surveillance equipment for electronic monitoring, enforcement, early detection of incidents and real time field response.

The ministry has issued rules setting active safety features for medium and heavy duty vehicles and for quadricycles. The measures provide for braking systems including anti-lock braking and an endurance braking system for categories M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 and for quadricycle models, with applicability for new models from first January 2027 and for existing models from first October 2027. The rules also mandate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Vehicle Stability Function (VSF), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), driver drowsiness and attention warning systems, blind spot information systems and moving off information systems for M2, M3, N2 and N3 categories, with applicability for new models from first October 2027 and for existing models from first January 2028.

The government has identified high fatality corridors on National Highways and is implementing remedial measures tailored to site requirements to reduce accidents. Road safety advocacy programmes and an annual National Road Safety Month support public awareness through campaigns, distribution of pamphlets and helmets to reduce accidents and fatalities. The ministry provided the information in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has established the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to introduce best practices and to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and government. All works on National Highways are carried out in accordance with standards, guidelines, manuals and codes of practice of the Indian Roads Congress and with specifications for road and bridge works that draw on international best practice. The ministry envisages deployment of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) on National Highways with the objective of improving road safety and reducing accidents. ATMS will encompass artificial intelligence based Video Incident Detection and Enforcement Systems (VIDES), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, Pan to Zoom (PTZ) cameras and other surveillance equipment for electronic monitoring, enforcement, early detection of incidents and real time field response. The ministry has issued rules setting active safety features for medium and heavy duty vehicles and for quadricycles. The measures provide for braking systems including anti-lock braking and an endurance braking system for categories M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 and for quadricycle models, with applicability for new models from first January 2027 and for existing models from first October 2027. The rules also mandate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Vehicle Stability Function (VSF), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), driver drowsiness and attention warning systems, blind spot information systems and moving off information systems for M2, M3, N2 and N3 categories, with applicability for new models from first October 2027 and for existing models from first January 2028. The government has identified high fatality corridors on National Highways and is implementing remedial measures tailored to site requirements to reduce accidents. Road safety advocacy programmes and an annual National Road Safety Month support public awareness through campaigns, distribution of pamphlets and helmets to reduce accidents and fatalities. The ministry provided the information in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..