The recent decision by the Manipur Transport Department to mandate electronic Driving Licences (eDL) and electronic Registration Certificates (eRC) across the state has stirred confusion, concern, and criticism. Issued on May 6, 2025, by the then Director of Transport—just days before her transfer—the directive mandates all District Transport Officers (DTOs) to discontinue the printing of physical smartcard driving licences and registration certificates. While digitisation is a welcome move in principle, the manner and timing of this decision raise more questions than confidence.
This hurried shift appears especially premature when even larger and more technologically advanced cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and even Guwahati in the Northeast are yet to fully implement a digital-only approach to driver and vehicle documentation. Ironically, Manipur—plagued by intermittent internet shutdowns, ethnic tensions, and infrastructure gaps—is now pushing forward with a transition that more developed states have yet to undertake.
What makes the move even more contentious is the contradiction within the Transport Department’s own records. An earlier office memorandum dated January 17, 2025, clearly referenced a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) notification—G.S.R. 1081(E), dated November 2, 2024—stating that the public could opt for a physical smartcard by paying the prescribed fees. Yet, in contradiction to this assurance, the May 6 circular to DTOs categorically directed the discontinuation of smartcard printing, effectively withdrawing the public’s right to choose between digital and physical formats.
It should be noted that MoRTH’s own guidelines, particularly a letter issued on August 8, 2018, to all states and union territories, recognised the need to offer both options. Citizens could choose eDL/eRC for convenience or continue with smartcards for tangibility. However, the Manipur directive ignores this flexibility. As a result, those who still prefer or depend on physical cards—particularly senior citizens, digitally illiterate individuals, or those without smartphones—are left with no viable option.
The aftermath of this unilateral decision is already visible. Outside DTO offices in Imphal and other districts, local DTP and computer centres are capitalising on the confusion by printing PVC versions of eDL/eRC, charging anywhere between Rs. 200 to Rs. 350. This was earlier a government service delivered through the state-run MANITRON Corporation for a fixed charge of ¹ 200. By withdrawing the official smartcard service, the Transport Department is not only encouraging unregulated profiteering but also causing potential loss to the state exchequer.
This also raises a pertinent question: Who stands to benefit from this abrupt digital-only transition? MANITRON, the state-owned corporation entrusted with the smartcard project, has invested heavily in infrastructure across districts. The MoU between MANITRON and the Transport Department reportedly remains in force, yet its relevance is now in question. The livelihoods of personnel engaged under the project are suddenly uncertain.
While the benefits of eDL/eRC are undeniable—reduced risk of loss or damage, ease of access, and compatibility with smartphone-based verification—these advantages largely apply to tech-savvy youth and those with uninterrupted access to mobile data. For a large section of the population in Manipur, including the elderly, the economically disadvantaged, and those living in areas with weak digital infrastructure, this move could prove exclusionary.
In a state where internet services are frequently suspended due to law-and-order concerns, relying solely on digital licences and registrations could complicate even routine vehicle checks. During prolonged suspensions, which have lasted for weeks in the recent past, the inability to access digital documents could result in unnecessary harassment or fines.
Moreover, digital documents are not foolproof. Basic image-editing tools can be misused to create forged or duplicated eDLs or eRCs, posing challenges for both the Transport Department and law enforcement agencies. Unlike smartcards with embedded security features, digital copies lack standardised safeguards against tampering.
In light of these issues, there is a need for a balanced approach. The Transport Department should not rush to abandon physical documentation altogether. Instead, it should maintain smartcards as an optional service alongside eDL/eRC, at least until digital infrastructure, awareness, and accessibility improve significantly. A one-size-fits-all approach may save on printing costs in the short term but risks alienating the very citizens it seeks to serve.
Digital adoption should be a gradual, inclusive process—not a hasty experiment that disrupts existing systems, disempowers the vulnerable, and potentially opens doors to misuse. In governance, especially in sensitive states like Manipur, prudence must trump haste. Otherwise, in trying to race ahead, the state may end up tripping over its own progress.