Microdots Technology
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft
notification to make microdots mandatory in vehicles.
§ The draft
rules amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and allow
motor vehicles and their parts to be affixed with permanent and nearly
invisible microdots that can be read physically with a microscope and identified
with ultraviolet light.
§ The microdots would
have to comply with the Automotive Industry Standard- 155 (AIS 155) requirements.
o The Standards
are developed by the Automotive Industry Standards Committee (AISC) set
up under Central Motor Vehicles Rules - Technical Standing Committee (CMVR-TSC)
by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
§ Microdots are a
globally proven technology to ensure originality in spare parts of machines and
components, including in the automobile sector.
o The microdot
technology involves spraying thousands of microscopic dots onto
vehicles or other assets to form a unique identification.
o Each microdot
carries this identification which is registered to the owner, but is not
visible to the naked eye.
o South Africa has made it a
legal requirement to have microdots fitted to all new vehicles sold since
September 2012.
§ The move is aimed
at making India free from vehicle thefts and spurious spare parts.
o The government has
envisaged that with microdots becoming a permanent feature in vehicles,
identifying them would become easier in case they are stolen.
o Annually about 2.14
lakh vehicles are stolen across the country with Delhi topping the list at
38,644 in 2016, which translates to over 100 vehicles daily, followed by UP
(34,480) and Maharashtra (22,435).
o The move will
ensure that consumers have a way of identifying original parts from fake ones
and that contributes to overall safety as well.
AIS-155
•
The Union Ministry of Road Transport issued a notification regarding Automotive
Industry Standards (AIS)-155 in respect of Microdot identifiers if affixed on
the motor vehicles and their parts.
Key highlights:
• This was done through amendment in Rule 92 of the Central
Motor vehicles (Fourteenth Amendment) Rules 1989.
• As per a new notification, the Manufacturers who are affixing
microdot identifiers in the motor vehicles and their parts, components,
assemblies, sub-assemblies shall conform to Automotive Industry Standards
(AIS)-155 as amended from time to time.”
About Microdot Technology:
• Microdot technology involves spraying the body and parts of
the vehicle or any other machine with microscopic dots, which give a unique
identification.
• The microdots and adhesive will become permanent
fixtures/affixation which cannot be removed without damaging the asset, that is
the vehicle itself. These nearly invisible microdots can only be read
physically with a microscope and identified with ultra violet light source.
• Use of this technology will help check theft of vehicles and
also use of fake spare parts.