Government Establishes National Road Safety Board; Nitin Gokarn Appointed Chairman
The Government of India has formally constituted the National Road Safety Board, a long-awaited statutory body aimed at improving road safety across the country. Nitin Gokarn, a senior bureaucrat with experience in transport and infrastructure, has been appointed as its chairman.
The board, established under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, is tasked with advising the central and state governments on policies, standards, and regulations for road safety. It will also promote research, develop safety standards for vehicles and road infrastructure, and coordinate with various stakeholders to reduce road accidents.
India accounts for about 11% of global road accident deaths despite having only 1% of the world’s vehicles. According to government data, over 1.5 lakh people die in road accidents annually, and the new board is expected to play a pivotal role in reversing this trend.
The board’s formation comes after several delays since the amendment act received presidential assent in 2019. Experts have welcomed the move, noting that the board’s multidisciplinary composition—including experts in traffic engineering, road safety, and law enforcement—could bring a systematic approach to road safety.
Nitin Gokarn, a 1996-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Manipur-Tripura cadre, has previously served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. His appointment is for a term of three years, as per the notification.
The board is expected to hold its first meeting within the next month to set priorities, which may include revising crash-test standards, auditing black spots on highways, and launching public awareness campaigns.
