Register drones by January 31 or face action: Aviation ministry

  • Those who fail to register drones will face action under the Indian Penal Code and the Aircraft Act
  • The number of illegal drones in India is likely to be between 50,000 and 60,000

PTI
Updated13 Jan 2020, 04:56 PM IST
Called the "No Permission-No Take Off" regulation, a drone operator has to use the DGCA's software programme DigiSky to obtain valid permissions before operating drones in India.
Called the "No Permission-No Take Off" regulation, a drone operator has to use the DGCA’s software programme DigiSky to obtain valid permissions before operating drones in India.(AP)

The Aviation Ministry on Monday announced a scheme providing a window up to January 31 for voluntary registration of all drones and their operators, days after top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone attack.

Those who fail to register will face action under the Indian Penal Code and the Aircraft Act.

In a notice, the ministry said, "The presence of such drones as well as drone operators has come to the notice of the government which do not comply with the CAR (civil aviation requirements)."

"In order to facilitate the identification of civil drones and drone operators, a one-time opportunity for voluntary disclosure of such drones and drone operators is being provided... All persons in possession of drones are required to complete the process (of online registration) by January 31, 2020," it added.

The number of illegal drones in India is likely to be between 50,000 and 60,000, co-chair of a FICCI committee on drones, Ankit Mehta, had said on October 22 last year.

Major General Soleimani, 62, the head of Iran's elite al-Quds force and architect of its regional security apparatus, was killed when a US military drone fired missiles at his convoy while it was leaving the Baghdad International Airport on January 3.

A senior Indian government official said the attack "precipitated the government to take action to regulate hundreds of non-compliant drones" that are operating in the country.

"What happened at Gatwick airport in December 2018 was already there on our mind," the official added.

Gatwick airport, Britain's second-busiest after Heathrow airport, remained closed from December 19-21, 2018, when multiple rogue drones were seen flying over the perimeter fence. During the three-day period, around 1,000 flights had to be cancelled or diverted to prevent any untoward incident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on August 27, 2018, had issued the CAR to regulate the use of civilian drones in the Indian airspace.

Under these regulations, a process has been prescribed for drone operators to obtain Unique Identification Number (UIN), Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) and other permissions.

Called the "No Permission-No Take Off" regulation, a drone operator has to use the DGCA's software programme DigiSky to obtain valid permissions before operating drones in India.

In the notice issued on Monday, the ministry said, "On successful submission of voluntary disclosure of possessing drone, a Drone Acknowledgement Number (DAN) and an Ownership Acknowledgement Number (OAN) will be issued online which will help in validation of operation of drones in India."

However, the DAN and the OAN do not confer any right to operate drones in India if it does not fulfil the DGCA's drone regulations, the ministry clarified.

"Further, ownership of drones in India without a valid DAN or OAN shall invite penal action as per applicable laws. This database will be issued to process each case as per the regulations by seeking further information, if required," the ministry stated.

Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

MoreLess
First Published:13 Jan 2020, 04:56 PM IST
Business NewsNewsIndiaRegister drones by January 31 or face action: Aviation ministry

Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!

  • Employment Type

    Most Active Stocks

    Indian Oil Corporation share price

    138.90
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -6.1 (-4.21%)

    Tata Steel share price

    146.95
    03:56 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -2.75 (-1.84%)

    Reliance Industries share price

    1,302.00
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -37.1 (-2.77%)

    Tata Motors share price

    824.10
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -19.5 (-2.31%)
    More Active Stocks

    Market Snapshot

    • Top Gainers
    • Top Losers
    • 52 Week High

    City Union Bank share price

    178.10
    03:29 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    0.25 (0.14%)

    Federal Bank share price

    204.15
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -0.1 (-0.05%)

    Jubilant Pharmova share price

    1,252.35
    03:40 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -11.65 (-0.92%)

    UTI Asset Management Company share price

    1,326.85
    03:29 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -33.4 (-2.46%)
    More from 52 Week High

    Poly Medicure share price

    2,876.70
    03:43 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -286 (-9.04%)

    Vodafone Idea share price

    7.89
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -0.56 (-6.63%)

    Chennai Petroleum Corporation share price

    614.70
    03:45 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -40.85 (-6.23%)

    Angel Broking share price

    2,886.35
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    -184.55 (-6.01%)
    More from Top Losers

    Fine Organic Industries share price

    5,123.00
    03:29 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    280.9 (5.8%)

    Firstsource Solutions share price

    358.85
    03:50 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    18.55 (5.45%)

    Rainbow Childrens Medicare share price

    1,630.70
    03:59 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    81.1 (5.23%)

    Gillette India share price

    10,323.35
    03:29 PM | 4 NOV 2024
    361.55 (3.63%)
    More from Top Gainers

    Recommended For You

      More Recommendations

      Gold Prices

      • 24K
      • 22K
      Bangalore
      80,415.000.00
      Chennai
      80,421.000.00
      Delhi
      80,573.000.00
      Kolkata
      80,425.000.00

      Fuel Price

      • Petrol
      • Diesel
      Bangalore
      102.92/L0.00
      Chennai
      101.03/L0.23
      Kolkata
      104.95/L0.00
      New Delhi
      94.77/L0.00

      Popular in News

        HomeMarketsPremiumInstant LoanMint Shorts