Hyderabad: Questioning the lack of blood group details as mandatory information in the driving license of Telangana state, an appeal has been made by the Council for Transforming India to the principal secretary of the transport department, Mr Sunil Sharma.
Driving licences in other states like Kerala and Goa contain blood group details. However, Telangana has neglected the option even after Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan suggested last year that they must take measures in this regard.
Blood group information was included as mandatory in the Motor Vehicle Act,1988 considering that it would be useful in case riders met with accidents. “We have recommended making blood group details mandatory in driving licenses even in the past, but no action has been taken by the authorities yet,” said Mr Rohith Vakrala, convener, Council for Transforming India.
Sriharshitha Chada, a law student and social crusader, pointed out that the empty space beside the blood group column in the state’s driving licenses serves no purpose. Crucial health-related information like blood group should be made mandatory in the application itself. It becomes very easy then for doctors to identify the blood group of a victim and proceed with further treatment immediately. However, the state transport authorities argue that it is not being implemented by the state because this information is considered “optional” and because the power to make it mandatory lies with the centre.
