Make dash cams mandatory to reduce hit and run cases: NCP MP Fauzia Khan

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha NCP MP Fauzia Khan on Monday said installation of dash cams in vehicles should be made mandatory to address concerns related to accidents and promote responsible driving practices.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the NCP member said there have been instances of protests against the strict provisions regarding hit-and-run cases in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"One key aspect that deserves attention in the wake of these stringent measures is the promotion of dash cams. Dash cams have emerged as a valuable tool that can provide concrete evidence in the event of a road accident," she said. Khan said most countries in the world have adopted dash cams on a large scale. Making the use of dash cams mandatory for manufacturers aligns with the objective of collecting reliable evidence, ensuring transparency, and facilitating a fair legal process.

The NCP MP said today seat belts, seat belt beeps, and so on have been made mandatory for manufacturers.

"Dash cams may be made mandatory in the same way," she said, and added these devices serve as an impartial witness recording events accurately and discouraging unethical behaviour.

"As India grapples with the challenges posed by strict traffic regulations, the incorporation of dash cams emerges as a practical and effective solution to address concerns related to accidents, evidence tampering, and promote responsible driving practices," she said.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi voiced concerns over "unconstitutional actions" take by the DDA by removing old structures in Delhi.

The DDA, he said, was illegally removing historical buildings and structures, including a mosque.

The MP noted that the government had arranged the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations, to the Dargah Nizamuddin Aulia On the one hand, the government facilitated the visit of the French President to the Dargah, and on the other hand, on the direction of this same government, the DDA was illegally demolishing old structures.

"I want to ask the government...what action they will take against the DDA officials for illegally demolishing the 700-year-old structure," Pratapgarhi said, while referring to the "demolition of a mosque and a madrasa" in Mehrauli by the DDA.

In his Zero Hour mention, V Vijayasai Reddy (YSRCP) made a demand for withdrawal of the draft de-reservation policy proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Citing data on professors and assistant professors in central universities, Reddy expressed surprise that the UGC has recently issued draft guidelines on de-reserving the vacancies meant for SCs, STs and OBCs.

"This is this is very much unconstitutional and unwarranted," he said.

He further said guidelines clearly state ban on de-reservation of reserved vacancies, and indirect recruitment might be lifted in exceptional cases.

"My sincere appeal to the government to prevent UGC from implementing such draft guidelines that erode the constitutional rights and protections which have been conferred on SCs, STs and OBCs in the case of reservation," he said.

The Rajya Sabha member also asked the government to ensure that the vacant positions reserved for SCs, STs, and OBCs are expeditiously filled.

A controversy had erupted last week over the UGC's draft guidelines proposing that any vacancy reserved for SC, ST and OBC candidates can be "declared unreserved" if enough candidates from these categories are not available.

However, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had clarified that not a single post will be de-reserved and there is no scope of ambiguity about reservations after the introduction of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019.