New Rules To Regulate Drone Activities Proposed By The Civil Aviation Ministry

INTRODUCTION

• Any aircraft that can be operated autonomously or that can be operated in a remote way without a pilot on board can be classified under the definition of drone.
• The Unmanned Aircraft System Rules 2021 came into force on 12th March, 2021.
• The Central Government received feedback about these Rules from the academia, industry and other third party stakeholders.

WHY ARE THE NEW RULES REQUIRED

• While laying down the reasons, the Centre stated that these Rules offered immense opportunities for economic growth and employment generation.
• Thus they need to be regulated in such a way that they do not pose any risk to safety or security of people or their assets.
• Hence the Government will make the new Rules in exercise of the powers conferred upon them by Section 5, Section 10 (2), Section 10 A, 10 B and 12 A of the Aircraft Act, 1934.

CLASSIFICATION OF DRONES

• Drones are classified into five types depending on their weight.
• Drones less than or equal to 250 gram fall under Nano category.
• Drones greater than 250 gram and less than or equal to 2 kilogram fall under Micro category.
• Drones greater than 2 kilogram and less than or equal to 25 kilogram fall under Small category.
• Drones greater than 25 kilogram and less than or equal to 150 kilogram fall under Medium category.
• Drones greater than 150 kilogram fall under Large category.

APPLICABILITY OF DRONE RULES

• The New Drone Rules will be applicable to

(a) Every person who owns or posses or is engaged in any business like export, import, manufacture, trade, maintenance, lease or transfer done in India.

(b) To all the other drones that are being used and operated at present in and all over India.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

All the remote operators of drone must possess pilot licence for using it.

• They must be between the age group of eighteen years and not more than sixty five years.
• They must have a class 10th pass certificate or its equivalent examination from any recognised board.
• They must have completed their training of Remote Pilot Licence as prescribed by the Director General for the applicable class from an authorised remote pilot training organisation.

The Government is open for objections and suggestions from the public till 5th August, 2021.Give your views about it.