BHARAT
NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM – POLITY 
News:
Bharat NCAP: India gets
its own car crash testing programme
What's
in the news?
●      
The Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways has rolled out an indigenous
star-rating system for crash testing cars.
●      
Called the Bharat New Car Assessment
Programme (NCAP), the rating system will be voluntary and will come into effect from October 1, 2023.
Bharat
New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP):
●      
Under the new system, the vehicles will be
assigned between one to five stars
indicating their safety in a collision.
●      
The programme is applicable to passenger
vehicles with not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat with
gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kgs.
Features:
●      
The test procedure involves Frontal Offset Test, Side Impact Test and
Pole-Side Impact Test.
●      
This rating will provide consumers with a
clear indication of a vehicle's safety standards in the event of a collision.
●      
Notably, Bharat NCAP is voluntary,
encouraging manufacturers to nominate their vehicles for testing, thereby
driving the production of safer cars in the Indian market.
Parameters:
●      
Adult occupant protection
●      
Child occupant protection
●      
Safety assist technologies present in the
car.
Challenges:
●      
Diverse road conditions
●      
Affordability and market dynamics
●      
Variety of vehicles
●      
Consumer and their preferences