On 10 April 2017, the Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016. This Bill seeks to amend which existing Motor Vehicles Act in India?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to transport law and recent legislative developments. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is the primary central law governing road transport, vehicle registration, licensing and traffic offences in India. Over time, the Union Government has tried to modernise this law through amendments. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 is one such major effort. Knowing which parent Act an amendment Bill seeks to modify is a common examination question type.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The Bill is named the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
• The Lok Sabha passed it on 10 April 2017.
• The question asks which Act it proposes to amend.
• Options list four different years for a Motor Vehicles Act.

Concept / Approach:
Amendment Bills usually keep the same subject title but add the word Amendment and specify the year of introduction. They modify an existing principal Act that continues to carry its original year. In the case of road transport, the foundational law has been the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. There is no central Motor Vehicles Act 1998, 2005 or 2010. Therefore, when asked which Act the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 seeks to change, the correct answer is the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the main Motor Vehicles Act currently in force, which is from the year 1988. Step 2: Understand that the 2016 Bill is an amendment and not a brand new principal Act. Step 3: Compare the years in the options with the known year of the existing law. Step 4: Recognise that Acts labelled 1998, 2005 and 2010 do not match the title of the actual Motor Vehicles Act. Step 5: Select Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 as the Act that the amendment Bill seeks to modify.

Verification / Alternative check:
Information given in government releases and exam preparation books clearly states that the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Provisions such as increased penalties, protection for good samaritans and regulations for aggregators are all described as changes to sections of the 1988 Act. Since no other year is associated with the main Motor Vehicles law, this confirmatory reading supports the selection of 1988 as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Motor Vehicles Act, 1998 is not the name of any principal central Act in this field and appears only as a distractor. Similarly, Motor Vehicles Act, 2005 and Motor Vehicles Act, 2010 have no statutory basis and are not recognised law titles. These years are included in options to mislead candidates who may not recall the exact year of the original Act. Because none of them corresponds to the principal statute on motor vehicles, they must be rejected.

Common Pitfalls:
One common error is to assume that a more recent year must be the correct one, leading candidates to select 2005 or 2010 due to recency bias. Another mistake is to confuse the year of the amendment Bill with the year of the original Act, thinking that 2016 implies a principal Act created at the same time. To avoid such pitfalls, aspirants should remember that the main Motor Vehicles law dates back to 1988 and that later Bills modify this base legislation rather than replace it entirely.

Final Answer:
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.