India-specific norm for assessing vehicular safety in collision

Context

Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways approved a Draft GSR (general statutory rules) Notification seeking comments on a proposal to introduce the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat-NCAP).

What is the purpose of an NCAP?

• Globally reliable information -New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) provide globally reliable information about the crash safety of a vehicle based on certain common criteria and procedures. 
• Foothold in International Market- This then helps vehicles acquire a foothold in international markets.
• Different from regional NCAP-Global NCAP is a standardised platform establishing cooperation and coordination among NCAPs internationally whereas regional NCAPs take into account specific local conditions.