The mercury today plummeted to the lowest in the capital this winter measuring 2.6 degree Celsius as Delhiites pulled out more woollen to fight the biting cold.
Today’s minimum of 2.6 degrees Celsius is four degrees below normal and the temperature in the night would hover around two degrees Celsius, the Met Department said.
via The Hindu.
I got myself an International Driving Permit (and I am enjoying the benefits of that bit of wisdom now, more on that later) the last time I was in Delhi. The actual issuing of the license took less than 10 minutes once I had figured out where to go and what documents I needed. That took some doing because the Transport Department of Delhi and the Delhi Government websites offer conflicting versions. I wasted some time and energy thanks to that, so once I was done with everything I vowed to post the correct information around here so others know exactly how to go about it.
So here it goes.
Here’s what you’ll need to get yourself an International Driving Permit/ International Driving Licence in Delhi or elsewhere in India ((The forms seem to be the same all over India. I write from my first hand knowledge of the process in Delhi and have done a little bit of research for other parts. I believe this information should hold good in other places as well, but don’t sue me if it doesn’t.)).
Pre-requisites:
1) You should be an Indian citizen.
2) You should have a valid “regular” driving license.
3) You should have a valid passport.
4) You should have a valid visa.
Documents you’ll need to include with your application:
1) Attested copy of your driving license.
2) Attested copy of a proof of residence ((Any one of ration card, yoter’s ID, passport etc.)).
3) Attested copy of a proof of age ((Any one of birth certificate, 10th pass certificate etc. They may or not not ask for this one, but it’s better to keep a copy in your folio.)).
4) Attested copy of the first and last pages of the passport.
5) Attested copy of the visa.
Forms to fill:
1) Medical Forms – Forms 1 and 1a. (Download)
Form 1 is self declaration of physical fitness. You need to get Form 1a filled by a doctor/ medical practitioner – remember to get his/ her sign across the photograph as mentioned at the bottom of the form.
2) IDP form (Form 4a). (Download)
No rocket science here. Fill what you can make out, leave the rest – you can fill it at the transport authority.
Miscellaneous:
1) 4 photographs (INCLUDING the two you’ll use in Forms 1a and 4a above).
2) 500 rupees in cash.
Notes:
a) The International Driving Permit is issued at respective regional transport authorities at NOT the one at Under Hill Road as a couple of the web pages I linked to above says. What that means in plain-speak, that you should go to the same place you went to get the “regular” driving license. If your place of residence has changed since then and you now are now in a different “zone” (or a different city/ state for that matter), you should try visiting the local transport authority first (you’ll need a proof of residence for the local address in that case).
b) Most, if not all, authorities would have a separate counter/ window for International Licences. And they don’t see more than half-a-dozen applicants on even the most busiest of days, so you don’t really need to worry about jostling in the queues.
c) You are bound to encounter “touts” when you reach the authority. They’ll tell you they’ll get the job done in 30 minutes and save you the “hassles”, and for that they’ll quote anything above 500 rupees as their “cut” (the quoted price depends on the kind of car they see you getting out of). But if you reach the authority armed with everything I have mentioned above, you’ll find that there are absolutely no hassles and you’ll get a license in less than 10 minutes (I speak from personal experience) – no touts involved. And you get the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from having done the right thing.
You’ll Never Drive Alone.
Okay, not much of a list but three points is all I want this Diwali.