Use of Drones

In News

• In a nationwide programme to take the third eye to the sky, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has called for more effective utilization of drone applications. 

Drone Rules 2021

• Security clearance: It will exempt a drone operator from seeking security clearance before registering a drone or applying for a license.
• Foreign companies: registered in India will be allowed to import and operate drones and their parts and will be regulated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
• Omitted clauses: Done away with the requirement of possessing a certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot license for entities engaged in research and development (R&D) on drones.
  • No pilot license will be required to operate micro drones used for non-commercial use, nano drones and for R&D organizations using such drones.
• Reduction In forms and fees: The number of forms has also been reduced from 25 to 5 and types of fee sharply reduced from 72 to 4.
  • Quantum of fee reduced to nominal levels and delinked with the size of the drone.
• Coverage of drones: It has been increased from 300kg to 500kg and will cover drone taxis, while the Issuance of certificate of airworthiness has been delegated to the Quality Council of India and certification entities authorized by it.
• Development of drone corridors: MoCA will also facilitate the development of drone corridors for cargo deliveries, and a drone promotion council will be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
• Airspace Map:
  • The draft Drone Rules 2021 also state that an interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform:
    • While yellow zone has been reduced from 45 km to 12 km from nearby airport perimeter, 
    • 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.
• Digital sky platform: 
  • It is an initiative by MoCA to provide a secure and a scalable platform that supports drone technology frameworks, such as NPNT (no permission, no take-off), designed to enable flight permission digitally and managing unmanned aircraft operations and traffic efficiently.
  • Digital sky platform will also be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system with minimal human interference and most permission will be self-generated.

Significance

• Various applications: Deploy unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance, situational analysis, crime control, VVIP security, disaster management, etc.
• Tremendous benefits: Drones offered tremendous benefits to almost every sector of the economy, including national defence, agriculture, law enforcement, and mapping, among others.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan: As part of the initiatives to make India a global hub for drones under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Drone Rules 2021 have been rolled out.
• Medicinal use: Delivery of medicines, collection of samples from remote or epidemic/pandemic-affected areas by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Real-time surveillance: Petroleum and Power Ministries have been asked to fly drones for real-time surveillance of assets and transmission lines, theft prevention, visual inspection/maintenance, construction planning and management, etc.
• Environmental benefits: It includes anti-poaching actions, monitoring of forests and wildlife, pollution assessment, and evidence gathering.
• Innovation: It will tremendously help start-ups and youth working in the sector. It will open up possibilities for innovation & business.

Issues/ Challenges

• Clear Modus Operandi: Responsibility and division of work should be clear as to who (the armed forces or the civilian forces) would be responsible for such mechanisms. It is a sub-tactical threat, but requires a strategic response. 
• Funding: Funding from the Government is a problem. Manufacturing at large scales and its deployment will require  a lot of money and strategising.
• Difficult to Differentiate: Counter strategy should be so strong that it is able to differentiate between a bird and an actual drone. Also it should give enough warning to positively identify that it is not a bird, to fire. 
• Easy Access: They are cheap, so anyone can have easy access to them.
• Anonymous: Their anonymous nature is a big risk to know about the origin of the drone. Drone attacks can be launched from within as well. 
• Swarm drones: Swarm drones, where scores of drones overwhelm and confuse detection systems, resulting in some of the drones sneaking through.

Way Forward

• Government’s bold approach: The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s decision to liberalize the drone policy even after the recent drone incidents in Jammu showcases the government’s bold approach to promote the use of drones.
• Addressing the threat: It focuses on the development of counter-drone technology to address the threat posed by rogue drones.

Source: TH