Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure

Context

  • Union Minister for Civil Aviation, has launched the Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India under RCS-UDAN.

About Seaplane Operations

  • Seaplanes can land and take off from the sea.
  • Waterdromes are for landing and taking off seaplanes.
  • India had seaplane operations in Andaman & Nicobar as well as in Gujarat but they couldn’t sustain for long. 
  • The government plans to set up water aerodromes at 18 places spread across Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Goa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. 

Guidelines for Seaplane Operations

  • The relaxed norms are aimed at encouraging seaplane operations under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik).
  • The guidelines prioritise the safety and security of seaplane operations and clearly outline the responsibilities of each stakeholder, from the operators to the regulatory bodies.
  • There will be no need for a waterdrome license and compliance requirements have also been reduced. 
  • Fresh Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holders can now directly obtain seaplane ratings that will allow them to fly seaplanes.
  • The revised regulations incorporated easier training requirements and simplified approval processes for seaplane operations.
  • The new guidelines allow non-scheduled entities to operate such services and put in place a simplified certificate process. 

Other Initiatives

  • The minister also launched the 5.4 version of the UDAN.
    • Under UDAN 5.4, fresh bids would be invited for the routes which were cancelled for some reason or the other, to provide connectivity on unserved routes. 
  • After the success of RCS-UDAN, the government is considering to propose RCS-UDAN 2.0 for the next 10 years.
UDAN
– The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) is an initiative to improve infrastructure and connectivity in India, especially in remote and underserved regions. 
– It is a vital component of India’s National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in 2016, with a 10-year vision.
– The first RCS-UDAN flight was inaugurated in 2017, connecting Shimla to Delhi. 
– The scheme focuses on improving unserved air routes in underserved regions of the country and fulfilling the aspirations of the common citizens.

Significance

  • The integration of seaplanes into the existing aviation system will provide last-mile connectivity to the regions that have remained isolated due to geographical challenges. 
  • This new mode of transportation will provide faster and more comfortable travel to these areas but also open up new avenues for economic growth, particularly in the tourism sector.
  • The country is uniquely positioned to leverage the potential of seaplane operations and the government is committed to unlocking the potential and transforming coastlines, rivers, lakes, and islands for connectivity, avenues of economic opportunity, and pathways to inclusive development. 

Source: PIB

 

Other News of the Day

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy In News The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has raised concerns regarding the proposed merger of media assets between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney in India. About  According to the Competition (Amendment) Act 2023, if the CCI believes a merger may have an appreciable adverse effect on competition (AAEC), it issues a...
Read More

Syllabus: GS3/Economy Context Recently, the Union Trade Minister stirred up debate on India’s e-commerce sector, instead of celebrating its exponential growth, he expressed concern. About Status of the E-commerce Market in India India, with its rapidly growing digital economy and expanding internet user base, is on the brink of a massive transformation in its retail...
Read More

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy Context The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs chaired a meeting to review performance of nine Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) of 5 states. About The review meeting focused on business performance, upgrading digital technology services, fostering business growth in MSME clusters, and deepening financial inclusion in rural areas. The RRBs were...
Read More

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment Context Researchers studying sediment in Alaska’s Yukon River discovered that eroding permafrost is contributing mercury-laden sediments to the river.  About In the Arctic, plants absorb mercury, then die and become part of the soil, which eventually freezes into permafrost. Over thousands of years, mercury concentrations build up in the frozen soil until...
Read More

Syllabus: GS 3 / Space  In News  Researchers investigated the magnetic field at different layers of the solar atmosphere using data from the Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel Telescope. About the study  The IIA’s approach involves probing the solar magnetic field at various atmospheric heights, an essential endeavor for understanding fundamental solar processes. The solar atmosphere is...
Read More

Gumti River Syllabus: GS1/ Geography In Context India strongly denied claims of Bangladesh that flooding of eastern borders of Bangladesh had been caused by the opening of Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti river in Tripura. About Gumti River The Gumti River is a transboundary river that originates from a range connecting the Longtharai and...
Read More

Daily Current Affairs - April 22, 2022

In Context Recently, Several researchers have proposed that the Blue Blob is part of the normal sea surface temperature variability in the Arctic.  About  The new study uses climate models and field observations and data from 1958 to 2019 to show that the cold water patch chilled the air over...
Read More

In News The United Nations is set to debate a provision that would require the five permanent members of the body’s Security Council to justify invoking their veto powers.  United Nations Security Council It is one of the UN’s six main organs and is aimed at maintaining international peace and...
Read More

In News Recently, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) announced the launch of Fincluvation under the ongoing Azadi ka Amrit Mahotasav. Fincluvation It is a joint initiative to collaborate with the Fintech Startup community to co-create and innovate solutions for financial inclusion. It is the first-of-its-kind industry initiative. It would create...
Read More

In News The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced that it will soon start a star rating for packaged food. Public health experts gathered at the ‘National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems’ organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Rajasthan.  About star ratings...
Read More

In News Recently, a Standing Committee suggested that the Environment Ministry must constitute an advisory body of experts to tackle growing instances of human-animal conflict. Key Points  The report analysed the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 tabled in the Lok Sabha in December 2021.  The report recommends an HAC Advisory...
Read More

In News Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced that all 100 smart cities will have Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs), under Smart Cities Mission (SCM). These ICCCs are spread across various states that have been developing Smart Cities, with states such as Tamil Nadu, Uttar...
Read More

In News  Kerala and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a project named ‘Cosmos Malabaricus’. About Cosmos Malabaricus project  It is being jointly implemented by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), the National Archives, and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. The project will...
Read More

In News Water trains hold the key to survival of 350 mugger crocodiles in Jawai dam of Rajasthan as water levels are down to three feet. Muggers or marsh crocodiles   Scientific Name: Crocodylus palustris Muggers measure six to 13 feet on average and live for 70-80 years.  Image Courtesy:...
Read More

In News  Recently, Russia tested its new Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Sarmat amidst stiff resistance from Ukraine in the ongoing war . About Sarmat  This was the first test launch of the ICMB Sarmat after having been delayed earlier in 2021.  It was launched from Plesetsk in North West...
Read More