The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a draft notification suggesting significant modifications to the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) validity and renewal process. The proposed changes aim to reduce the compliance burden for newer, cleaner vehicles while increasing testing requirements for older, more polluting vehicles.
Under the new rules, BS-VI private vehicles up to 6 years old will see an extension of PUCC validity from one year to three years, benefiting owners of less polluting vehicles. Commercial BS-VI vehicles within the same age bracket are proposed to have a two-year validity period.
For BS-VI vehicles aged between 6 to 10 years, annual renewal of PUCC will be mandatory, while those over 10 years old will need to renew their certificates every 6 months. The regulations for BS-IV vehicles are set to become stricter, with PUCC renewal required every 6 months instead of annually.
Additionally, vehicles complying with older emission standards such as BS-I, BS-II, and BS-III will need to renew their PUCC every 3 months to closely monitor emissions levels. The Bharat Stage emission standards align with European norms and regulate pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter.
India transitioned from BS-IV to the more stringent BS-VI standards in April 2020, skipping BS-V to expedite pollution control efforts. BS-VI vehicles emit significantly lower pollutants and necessitate the use of low-sulphur fuel to function optimally.
Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) fuels, implemented nationwide from April 1, 2020, feature a maximum sulphur content of 10 parts per million (ppm) and reduced aromatic hydrocarbons, marking a substantial improvement from the previous BS-IV standards.
