Faceless Learning Licence Services Temporarily Suspended In Maharashtra Amid Rising Misuse

The Maharashtra State Transport Department has temporarily suspended the faceless learning licence (LL) service following rising incidents of misuse and serious security loopholes. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik confirmed that a formal request has been made to the Nationalist Informatics Centre (NIC) to pause the service while necessary improvements are made to the system.

Speaking to the media, Minister Sarnaik explained, “Many 18- year- olds who have completed their Class 12 exams are obtaining learning licence through the faceless system. However, these licences require the presence of a valid driving licence holder while driving. Despite this, numerous instances have surfaced where young individuals have flouted these rules, driven recklessly, and caused accidents. In several drunk driving incidents, the drivers were found to hold only learning licence.”

These concerns were raised during a high-level meeting chaired by Minister Sarnaik at the Mantralaya on Friday, where field officers presented their findings after on-ground inspections. Multiple technical and security vulnerabilities were discovered in the faceless learning licence system.

"It was observed that Aadhaar data could be manipulated, allowing individuals to alter key personal details such as their date of birth, address, and name. This discrepancy between learning licence and driving licence records opens the door to identity fraud. Additionally, the security software implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) was found to be vulnerable. It could be bypassed, enabling candidates to take and even pass the learning licence test without ever being physically present at the testing center. These loopholes present serious risks, not only allowing the potential mass issuance of fake licences but also threatening public road safety and, by extension, national security," stated the minister.

These actions also potentially violate several important legal provisions. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, Sections 3, 4, and 8 relate to the necessity of holding a valid driving licence, age restrictions, and the process for obtaining a learner’s licence. The manipulation of records and issuance of fake licences directly undermine these sections. Furthermore, Rule 11 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules outlines the proper procedure and verification requirements for issuing learning licences, which are clearly being bypassed in such cases.

In addition, these activities may breach the Information Technology Act, 2000, specifically Sections 66C and 66D, which deal with identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources. Unauthorized access to or tampering with Aadhaar data also violates provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, which protects individual identity information and ensures its secure use.

Taking serious note of these irregularities, Minister Sarnaik directed the Transport Commissioner’s Office to ensure that, until further notice, all learning licence tests are conducted under the strict supervision of department officials, with rigorous verification.

During the meeting, it was also decided that some states have implemented third-party systems for conducting faceless learning licence tests. Maharashtra will study such models to assess their transparency, security, and usefulness before considering implementation.

Interestingly, several Indian states and union territories still do not offer a faceless learning licence system. In these regions, applicants are required to visit the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in person for tests. These include Kerala, Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and the union territories of Ladakh and Lakshadweep.

The minister has also directed the appointment of an expert committee to thoroughly investigate the issue and submit a detailed report. Based on the committee's recommendations, appropriate reforms will be undertaken at the earliest.

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