The Ministry of Civil Aviation released a public notice on 13 January 2020 requesting the persons in possession of drones to inform the government of such possession. This was a one-time opportunity to make the voluntary disclosure of the drones so as to enlist them with the Digital Sky Platform, a website set up by the Directorate general of Civil Aviation. All people in possession of drones were required to make these voluntary disclosures by 31 January 2020.
This notice comes in light of the fact that it has been observed that a lot of drone operators were not complying with the Civil Aviation Requirements dated 27 August 2018, which regulates the use of drones in the Indian airspace and lays the “No Permission No Takeoff” principle for operation of drones. According to this rule, if a drone pilot tries to fly without receiving permission from the Digital Sky Platform, they will not be able to operate.
This post has been contributed by Ms. Vaneesa Agrawal and Ms. Sanyukta Srivastav.
[DISCLAIMER: This article is for academic purpose and is solely to provide readers with general information regarding developments in Indian law. The information contained herein does not constitute legal or a professional advice.]