New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- India's pollution-under-control (PUC) testing system could see tighter safeguards against manipulation, with a proposed amendment to vehicle emission-testing standards requiring testing equipment to digitally sign results and transmit them directly to a central government server. The October 2026 amendment to the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-137 (Part 8), issued under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, proposes introducing hardware-based security features in petrol and diesel vehicle emission-testing equipment to ensure that readings cannot be altered by operators or external devices. Under the proposed framework, gas analysers and smoke meters will have to incorporate a dedicated Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) security chip to generate and store cryptographic keys. Every valid emission test will have to be digitally signed within the instrument before its results are transmitted to the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) server through the machine's own SIM or eSIM connection. The amendment specifically seeks to prevent manipulation through computers at testing centres, stating that "no peripheral device, including a PC, shall be capable of generating or altering signed results". According to the ministry of road transport and highways, the existing digital PUC system links test results to the VAHAN database, with NIC-developed testing software implemented in 31 states. Features include geo-fencing of testing centres, vehicle photographs and videos, and real-time reporting. "The test results are updated in Vahan system on real-time basis," the ministry said. The proposed standards also prescribe stricter testing protocols. Measurements will have to be conducted for at least 60 seconds, with the average of readings during the final 10 seconds taken as the result. Live readings will not be displayed during measurement, except engine speed. Tests recording oxygen concentrations of 5% or higher will be rejected, with operators required to conduct a retest. Every valid completed test, irrespective of whether a vehicle passes or fails, will have to be digitally signed and transmitted to the central server. The instruments will also be required to detect unauthorised opening, software modifications and attempts to manipulate readings. Such incidents will trigger suspension of further testing, signing until the equipment is reverified....