Important for GS Prelims (statutory facts, composition) and Mains — GS-2 (Governance) & GS-3 (Infrastructure)
About NRSB
- National Road Safety Board (NRSB) is the apex advisory body to the Centre and States on road safety and traffic management.
- Established under Section 215B of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a provision inserted by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.
- Officially constituted on 29 June 2026 — nearly two decades after being first proposed by the Sunder Committee (2007) and the Road Safety and Traffic Management Bill, 2010.
Key Facts
| Particular | Details |
| Statutory Basis | Section 215B, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (inserted via MV Amendment Act, 2019). |
| Governing Rules | National Road Safety Board Rules, 2025 — notified 27 Oct 2025, in force from 28 Oct 2025. |
| Constitution Date | 29 June 2026, via notification S.O. 3505(E). |
| Headquarters | National Capital Region (NCR); can set up regional offices. |
| First Chairman | Dr. Nitin R. Gokarn, IAS (Retd.) — former Addl. Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh. |
| Chairman Eligibility | Min. age 45; min. 15 years’ experience in highway engineering/road safety/law/traffic mgmt./auto engineering/public admin. |
| Chairman Tenure | Up to 3 years; re-appointable for 1 more term of up to 2 years (max age 65). |
| Meeting Frequency | At least once every 3 months. |
| Quorum | 50% of total members in position. |
Composition
- State Representatives — 6 members: currently Transport Commissioners of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi; ADGPs (Police) of Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tripura.
- MoRTH Representatives — 2 members: officers not below the rank of Additional Director General.
- NHAI Representatives — 2 members: Member (Admin) and Member (Road Safety).
- NHIDCL — 1 member: a Director-level representative.
- Member Secretary: an Additional or Joint Secretary from MoRTH.
- Independent Experts — 5 to 7 members: from civil society/academia; 2026 designees include Piyush Tewari (Founder-CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation) and Satyendra Garg, IPS (Retd.) (traffic management expert).
- Chairman and members are unsalaried — they receive only meeting/travel/stay allowances.
- The Board may constitute specialised Working Groups of independent technical/professional experts.
Key Functions
- Standards — drafting road safety, traffic management, and construction standards, including for hilly/mountainous regions.
- Capacity Building — skill-building guidelines for traffic police, highway authorities, hospital staff, and research bodies.
- Emergency & Trauma Care — guidelines for setting up trauma and para-medical facilities.
- Innovation — promoting new vehicle technologies, aligning domestic standards with international norms, and encouraging “Good Samaritan” practices.
- Research — leading research on infrastructure, enforcement, and scientific crash investigation.
Conclusion
The NRSB gives India a dedicated, multi-sectoral apex body for road safety after nearly two decades of delay. However, its purely advisory mandate — with no binding powers over States — remains its key structural limitation, and closing this gap is central to meeting India’s Vision Zero-style safety goals and the 2030 halving target.