Centre targets replacement of two lakh old trucks, buses in Delhi-NCR within a year
A scheme named PARIVARTAN has been approved to replace more than two lakh old trucks and buses in the Delhi-NCR region within a year
The scheme targets commercial vehicles conforming to Bharat Stage (BS)-IV or earlier emission norms, replacing them with BS-VI-compliant or electric vehicles
It offers interest subsidies, motor vehicle tax waivers, registration fee waivers, and purchase incentives to vehicle owners
Implementation involves the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways together with funding routed through the National Capital Region Planning Board under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
The scheme covers 37 districts across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan that fall within the National Capital Region
Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Norms
Bharat Stage norms are vehicle emission standards set by the Government of India, based on European (Euro) emission regulations, that regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engines. India skipped BS-V and moved directly from BS-IV to BS-VI nationwide from April 1, 2020, to cut lead time and reduce pollution faster.
Key Details
- BS-VI mandates significantly lower limits on particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) compared to BS-IV, especially for diesel vehicles
- The jump from BS-IV to BS-VI (skipping BS-V) was implemented nationwide effective April 1, 2020
- BS norms are administered under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, framed under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
- CPCB and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are the key regulatory bodies for emission standards
PARIVARTAN specifically targets replacement of pre-BS-VI (BS-IV or older) trucks and buses, directly using the BS-VI standard as the compliance benchmark for the vehicles they must be replaced with.
NGT/Supreme Court Vehicle-Age Restrictions and End-of-Life Vehicle Rules
Delhi-NCR has a long-running judicial and regulatory framework restricting old vehicles: the National Green Tribunal in 2015 directed that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years be barred from operating/registering in Delhi-NCR, a position reinforced by the Supreme Court in subsequent years. This was formalized further through the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025, which mandate scrapping within 180 days of registration expiry.
Key Details
- NGT order (2015): diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years barred from Delhi-NCR roads
- Supreme Court has permitted action (including impounding) against non-compliant End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi-NCR
- Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025 (effective April 1) mandate scrapping within 180 days of registration expiry
- Enforcement relies on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at fuel stations cross-checked against the VAHAN database
PARIVARTAN is a demand-side incentive scheme layered on top of this existing supply-side legal ban on old vehicles — the scheme "pulls" vehicle owners toward voluntary early replacement using subsidies, complementing the "push" of the NGT/Supreme Court-mandated age limits and mandatory scrappage rules.
Air Pollution Sources and PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR
Vehicular emissions are one of the major contributors to particulate pollution in the National Capital Region, alongside stubble burning, industrial emissions, and construction dust. Heavy-duty diesel vehicles (trucks and buses) are disproportionately polluting relative to their numbers.
Key Details
- Trucks and buses form only about 3% of the total vehicle fleet in Delhi-NCR but contribute roughly 36% of the region's PM2.5 emissions
- National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) functions under the National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985, and coordinates regional planning across the four NCR states
- CPCB's National Air Quality Index (AQI) and NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) are the regulatory benchmarks against which pollution levels are measured
- Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is the stage-wise emergency response mechanism for Delhi-NCR air quality, distinct from PARIVARTAN's structural fleet-replacement approach
The disproportionate PM2.5 contribution of trucks and buses is the underlying rationale for targeting this specific vehicle category (rather than private cars) for accelerated replacement under PARIVARTAN.
- Scheme name: PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivisation of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions)
- Target: replacement of over two lakh (about 1.9 lakh trucks + 16,329 buses) old commercial vehicles within one year
- Total financial outlay: ₹9,585 crore, including ₹5,041 crore in Central budgetary support
- Funding channel: National Capital Region Planning Board (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs); implementing ministry: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Geographic coverage: 37 NCR districts — 13 in Delhi, 14 in Haryana, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 2 in Rajasthan
- Key incentives: 100% motor vehicle tax exemption for 10 years, registration fee waiver, 5 percentage-point interest subsidy for 5 years, minimum 8% OEM discount, monthly fuel vouchers (₹1,200-4,800) for BS-VI vehicles, one-time EV incentives (₹64,000-2.56 lakh)
- Trucks and buses: ~3% of Delhi-NCR vehicle fleet but ~36% of regional PM2.5 emissions