Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Graduate Programs & Internships

What It Does: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the apex body for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport, 

Mission: Development of the National Highways (NHS) Network in the country into a road network of international standards for uninterrupted flow of traffic with enhanced safety features.

Vision: To have a sustainable, efficient, safe and internationally comparable quality of road infrastructure in general and National Highways infrastructure in particular to achieve enhanced connectivity, quick mobility to a level that accelerate socio-economic development,

Size & Presence: 2,000 total employees across all of its locations.

The MORTH Story

An apex organisation under the Central Government is entrusted with the task of formulating and administering, in consultation with other Central Ministries/Departments, State Governments/UT Administrations, organisations and individuals, policies for Road Transport, National Highways and Transport Research with a view to increasing the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in the country. The Ministry has two wings: The roads wing and the Transport wing. Deals with the development and maintenance of the National Highway in the country.

The Department of War Transport was formed in July 1942 by the bifurcation of the then Department of Communications into two Departments viz., (i) the Department of Posts and the Department of War Transport. The functions allocated to the Department of War Transport included major ports, railway priorities, utilization of road & water transport, petrol rationing & producer gas, coastal shipping and the administration and development of major ports. Broadly speaking. The functions of the War Transport Department were to coordinate the demands for transport during wartime. Later, the planning of exports was undertaken as a corollary to the Department's control of transport priorities.

Milestones

• In the year 1957, the Department of War Transport was re-named as Ministry of Transport Communications and the Department of Transport was placed under it.
• ln the President's order of 25th January 1966, the Ministry of Transport was re-named as the Department of Transport, Shipping and Tourism in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation.
• The Ministry of Transport and Aviation was bifurcated into the Ministry of Transport Shipping and the Ministry of Tourism Civil Aviation w e.f 13th March 1967.
• The Ministry of Transport & Shipping became the Department of Surface Transport under the Ministry of Transport w.e.f. 25th September 1985.
• The Department of Surface Transport under the Ministry of Transport was re-named as the Ministry of Surface Transport w e.f 22nd October 1986.
• The Ministry of Surface Transport was bifurcated into two Ministries viz. Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Road Transport Highways w.e.f. 17th November 2000.
• The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Ministry of Shipping was merged on 2nd September 2004 into a single Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, with two Departments – Department of Shipping and Department of Road Transport & Highways.
• The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways was again bifurcated into two independent Ministries by converting the Department of Shipping and Department of Road Transport & Highways into separate independent Ministries viz Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Road Transport Highways in 2009

Responsibilities

• Planning, development and maintenance of National Highways in the country.
• Extends technical and financial support to State Governments for the development of state roads and the roads of inter-state connectivity and economic importance
• Evolves standard specifications for roads and bridges in the country.
• Serves as a repository of technical knowledge on roads and bridges.
• Motor Vehicle legislation.
• Administration of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• Taxation of motor vehicles.
• Compulsory insurance of motor vehicles.
• Administration of the Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950.
• And promotion of Transport co-operatives in the field of motor transport.
• Evolves road safety standards in the form of a National Policy on Road Safety and by preparing and implementing the Annual Road Safety Plan.
• Collects compiles and analyses road accident statistics and takes steps for developing a Road Safety Culture in the country by involving the members of the public and organising various awareness campaigns.
• Provides grants-in-aid to Non-Governmental Organisations in accordance with the laid down guidelines.

Road Transport

Road Transport is considered to be one of the most cost-effective and preferred modes of transport, both for freight and passengers, keeping in view its level of. penetration into populated areas. Thus, it is vital for the economic development and social integration of the country. Road Transport has emerged as the dominant segment in India’s transportation sector with a share of 4.5% in India’s GDP in 2005-06. The Road Transport Sector accounts for about 87% of passenger traffic and 60% of freight traffic movement in the country. Easy availability, adaptability to individual needs and cost savings are some of the factors which go in favour of road transport. Road transport also acts as a feeder service to the railway, shipping and air traffic.

The Road Transport Wing of the Ministry is concerned with the formulation of broad policies relating to the regulation of road transport in the country, besides making arrangements for the movement of vehicular traffic with the neighbouring countries. Improving the road safety scenario in the country is one of the most important and challenging activities of the Road Transport Wing.

This Ministry formulates policies for road safety so as to minimise road accidents. The important schemes formulated and managed by the Road Safety Division / Section include publicity programmes, National Highways Accident Relief Service Scheme (NHARSS), refresher training for heavy vehicle drivers in the unorganized sector, and providing road safety equipment to States/UTs etc. The Ministry formed five separate working groups on four E’s of Road Safety viz. (i) Education (ii) Enforcement (iii) Engineering (roads as well as vehicles) and (iv) Emergency care to deliberate in detail and submit their recommendations on short-term and long term measures for immediate implementation so as to curb road accidents in the country