Pollution is a word that everyone is aware of and now all of us know the harmful effect of pollution, be it noise pollution or pollution of the environment. One of the main reasons for the environment pollution is caused by traffic or vehicles that are plying on the roads in India. Hence, keeping all these factors in mind, the Government of India has made the Pollution Under Control -known as PUCcertificate compulsory under the Central Motor Vehicles Rule of 1989. The PUC test evaluates and measures the release or emission of any vehicle and does a thorough check of whether the vehicle obeys the normal pollution rules and directives. In India there are three main requirements while driving on the Indian roads and highways, are having a valid driving license, a complete coverage of insurance of the vehicle and last but not the least, a must Pollution Under Control Certificate or a PUC certificate. All cars which are there in the Indian roads mandatorily need to have insurance coverage as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Likewise, the Central Motor Vehicle Rule, 1989 has made it compulsory to have the Pollution Certificate. The PUC certificate indicates that the four-wheeler or the two-wheeler emissions are as per the standard rules pertaining to pollution . to check that a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler is not a risk to the health of the air in the city.
Whenever you buy a new vehicle, be it private or a commercial one, obtaining a PUC certificate is a must. Let us see now some more details about the PUC certificate.
Vehicles Needing PUC Certification
You must be pondering on the point that PUC certificate is needed for what type of vehicles. Well, the answer is very simple. All categories of vehicles that are running on the Indian roads compulsorily need to have a valid PUC certificate. There are many Pollution testing centres which issue PUC certificates for all vehicles all over India. The PUC Certificate can be obtained from an authentic petrol pump as well.
Process of the PUC Test:
Now that you have got a fair idea about what is aPUC certificate, you also need to know the process of the PUC test.
The PUC test process depends on the fuel in which the vehicle is running like petrol or diesel. Let us understand a few important aspects of the test as below.
For vehicles with fuel type as diesel, the accelerator is an entirely hard-pressed post which the interpretations of the level of the pollution are noted. The process is repeated five times and by taking the average of all the 5 readings the final study is noted.
For vehicles with fuel type as petrol, the car is kept idle without pressing the accelerator. One reading is taken which is considered as the concluding reading.
Conditions of the Test and Certificate of Test:
We must also understand the basic parameters of the PUC test. Let us have a look at the below limits.
| Type of Vehicle | Carbon Dioxide % | Hydrocarbon level in ppm |
| 2 and 3-wheeler motor vehicles-two or four strokes manufactured on or before the date of 31st March 2000 | 4.5 | 9000 |
| 2 and 3-wheeler motor vehicles -four-stroke manufactured after the date of 31st March 2000 | 3.5 | 4500 |
| 2 and 3-wheeler motor vehicles – two-stroke manufactured after the date of 31st March 2000 | 3.5 | 6000 |
| 4-wheeler motor vehicles manufactured according to the laid down rules of Pre Bharat-Stage II and Stage III or the successive Norms | 0.5 | 750 |
| 4-wheeler motor vehicles manufactured according to the laid down rules of Pre Bharat-Stage II Norms | 3 | 1500 |
PUC Certification is needed when?
You must obtain the PUC when you purchase a new vehicle. A PUC Certificate is always given with the newly bought motor vehicle. PUC certificate is valid for 1 year only post you will have to get the same again from an authorized PUC testing place.
You must have a valid PUC certificate in the vehicle all the time as per Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. This implies that you must have the PUC Certificate in the vehicle always and upon asking by any officer whose rank is Sub-Inspector of Police or the Inspector of Motor Vehicles and above, you need to show the same immediately.
PUC Certificate and its importance:
An obvious question which can be in your mind as to why there is so much focus on having a PUC Certificate. PUC certificate has the below-mentioned data:
- The serial number of the certificate of PUC test issued
- Vehicle’s license plate figure
- Date of the Test
- The expiry date of the PUC certificate
- Analysis and comments from the PUC test
As mentioned above, a PUC certificate is a vital document that you must carry always when you are driving the vehicle. And upon asking by a traffic official, if you are unable to produce the certificate, you will have to face the consequences by paying the penalty amount. You should also make sure that the PUC is renewed well before the expiry date to avoid paying the penalties and drive safely.
Not carrying the PUC is a punishable offence and is liable for prosecution as per the Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act. The motor driver will be penalized with a charge of INR 1000 if it is for the 1st time offence and INR 2000 for each of the following faltering.
Important point to note here In case if you are having a valid PUC certificate, but the vehicle is evidently contaminating the atmosphere, the PUC certificate of your vehicle will stand invalid and you will have to get a new PUC within a week, failing which the there is a chance that you will be prosecuted under the Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
PUC Certification and Car Insurance Renewal
A very significant point that you must remember is that when you are renewing the insurance for your vehicle, it is important that you also have a valid PUC certificate to have an effective renewal of the insurance. This link was mainly done upon the suggestions and proposals given by the Environment Pollution -Prevention and Control Authority -EPCA, which mainly focuses on how to reduce air pollution in India. The Supreme Court passed a law which states that linking insurance with a PUC certificate is necessary at the time of renewing the insurance plan.. The law also states that the vehicles which do not follow these rulebooks will be disallowed to extend the coverage of insurance by way of renewal.
What is the PUC charge?
When you go for the PUC test, you are required to pay a charge for the test. Don’t worry, the charge is very less and ranges between INR 60 and INR100 depending on the type of vehicle.
Where Can One get a PUC Certificate?
You can get the PUC certificate from the below places:
- PUC testing is supported by authorized petrol pumps that have been sanctioned to perform these tests.
- There are many self-governing testing centres which have been allowable to perform the PUC tests and issue the applicable certificates.
- Accredited auto emission centre with the latest computerised and digital benefit is also available for inspecting the pollution level of a vehicle that can do the necessary tests and can also issue the PUC Certificate.
PUCC Software
It is always good to know how and by what means a PUC test is conducted. Let us see how.
PUCC is the latest application launched by MoRTH which will provide numerous Pollution Check Points all over India. The application will take into consideration the limitation of the smoke via API given by the manufacturer, vehicle number plate via Webcam and will send the OTP to you as an owner of the vehicle. Then, the PUC certificate will be issued to you based on the type of the fuel like petrol, diesel and the type a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler etc is according to the rules and regulations pertaining to pollution
Main features of the PUCC application:
The main features of the PUCC application are as below:
- A cohesive answer which will include the check of the pollution level together with PUCC issuance to everyone and updating of the National Database for India
- Fully constructed to meet the requirements for each state
- You can upload the necessary documents also very easily
- Presence of Pollution Control Board which regulates and monitor the entire PUCC process
You can find the PUC centre list from the official website of https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/puc/views/PUCCenterList.xhtml where after selecting the state and office, a comprehensive list of PUC centres will appear on the screen. You can easily choose the respective centre and can go ahead with the PUC procedure.
With the increase in the number of vehicles and with digital advancement, it is important that we are cautious about saving the environment from pollution as a responsible citizen. Hence, obeying to the laws pertaining to pollution also becomes very important. Let us have a clean and green environment in future and avoid polluting the environment.
FAQ’s
Yes, PUC certificate is applicable for all kind of vehicles in India.
You must carry the PUC certificate while driving as anytime the traffic guard may do a check of the vehicle documents and PUC certificate is a very crucial document.
The validity of a PUC Certificate:
- The validity of the PUC Certificate for a brand-new car or a bike is 1 year. The certificate will have to be renewed after 1 year
- The validity of a renewed PUC certificate is for 6 months for both cars and bikes.
You will have to pay a fine of INR 1000 for first time defaulter and INR 2000 for the second time. Also, as per the Motor Vehicle Act, you will be prosecuted for not carrying this document. Remember, to carry this document to maintain a healthy pollution-free environment.
You should have this certificate the moment you buy a new vehicle.
The PUC certificate has details like PUC certificate serial number, emission test date, the expiry date of the PUC certificate, the registration number of the vehicle, and the reading of the emission test.
