Can’t fly drone without passport: Rule dampens Gujarat’s dream to be drone hub
- November 14, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Can’t fly drone without passport: Rule dampens Gujarat’s dream to be drone hub
Subject :Science and Technology
Drone policy of Gujarat-
- Amid the Gujarat government’s push to promote the use of drones in several sectors including forestry, agriculture, geology, mining and disaster management, the state is facing a shortage of certified drone pilots.
Reason for shortage of drone pilots-
- The reason is a mandate by the Director General of Civil Aviation requiring candidates enrolling for drone pilot training to have a passport.
- The state government announced its drone policy in August to encourage commercial use of drones, generate 25,000 jobs in the process and India to become the world’s drone hub.
- At Kaushalya — The Skill University (KSU) in Ahmedabad, only 25 candidates who applied this year for the drone training course had valid passports.
- The university, a DGCA-approved and the only state university in Gujarat offering drone pilot training, received over 640 applications out of which 325 candidates submitted the required documents and 154 candidates were finally called for scrutiny.
- It has decided to provide one-month basic training, instead of the minimum 40-hour course as mandated by the DGCA, to those who do not have passports.
- Private training institutes in the state are also struggling to admit students due to the passport mandate.
Drone regulation in India:
- The ministry of civil aviation had notified the Drone Rules, 2021 that eased the regulation of drone operations in India by reducing the number of forms that need to be filled to operate them from 25 to five and decreasing the types of fees charged by the operator from 72 to four.
- As per Drone Rules, 2021, any person who intends to obtain the authorisation to establish a Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) shall submit an application to the Director General of Civil Aviation in Form D5 on the Digital Sky Platform, along with the specified fees.
New drone rules:
- The digital sky platform shall be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system.
- No flight permission is required up to 400 feet in green zones and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter.
- No pilot licence is required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drones and for R&D organisations.
- No restriction on drone operations by foreign-owned companies registered in India.
- Import of drones and drone components to be regulated by DGFT.
- No security clearance is required before any registration or licence issuance.
- No requirement for a certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence for R&D entities.
- Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also.
- Issuance of Certificate of Airworthiness delegated to Quality Council of India and certification entities authorised by it.
- The manufacturer may generate their drone’s unique identification number on the digital sky platform through the self-certification route.
- The maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 1 lakh. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws.
- Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
- Drone promotion council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
Need for stricter rules and regulations:
- Recently, Drones were used for the first time to drop explosive devices, triggering blasts inside the Air Force Station’s technical area in Jammu.
- Over the past two years, drones have been deployed regularly by Pakistan-based outfits to smuggle arms, ammunition and drugs into Indian territory.
- According to government figures, 167 drone sightings were recorded along the border with Pakistan in 2019, and in 2020, there were 77 such sightings.
- With the rapid proliferation of drone technology and the exponential growth of its global market in recent years, the possibility of a drone attack cannot be ruled out even in the safest cities in the world.
- Drones are becoming security threats, particularly in conflict zones where non-state actors are active and have easy access to technology.
Drone Categories in India:
- Registration is required for all but the Nano category.
- Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams
- Micro: From 250 grams to 2kg
- Small: From 2kg to 25kg
- Medium: From 25kg to 150kg
- Large: Greater than 150kg
Significance of Drones:
- Use of drones in commercial, safety, law and order, disaster management and surveillance operations reduce manpower requirements and costs.
- Drones offer low-cost, safe and quick aerial surveys for data collection and are useful for industries such as power, mining, realty and oil and gas exploration.