Drone Rules 2021: Concerns

What is the issue?

With the Ministry of Civil Aviation notifying its liberalized Drone Rules 2021, concerns regarding drone proliferation have been on the rise.

Click here to learn more about the Drone Rules 2021

What are the concerns regarding the new Drone Rules, 2021?

• Security - Incidents like twin drones attack on Jammu Air Force base, Naxals using drones for surveillance of police posts in Maharashtra- Chhattisgarh border, etc. suspects  the viability of the rules
• Privacy - Violations of spatial privacy that may happen due to the usage of drones might also lead to the violation of data privacy.
• Investments - Investors concern about policy stability.
• As drone proliferation would raise security risks, there might be a reversal in the policy.
• Voluntary compliance - It assumes that appropriate measures would be taken by anyone who flies the RPA to prevent misuse.
• Technical challenges - Integrating unmanned aircraft systems into National Airspace System requires optimal utilization of airspace capacity and augmenting the existing communication networks for effective air traffic management.

How can the airspace be protected?

• Need for an alert air traffic police that can spot trouble in advance, perhaps even something like Israel’s invisible ‘Iron dome’.
• Stakeholders need to be assured of the safety checks by outlining India’s security back-up.
• DGCA should look at establishing ‘drone-ways’ along the lines of airways.
• This will help remotely piloted aircraft, with algorithms helping the autopilot, to safely use them even at low altitudes.
• This will also address air traffic safety and drone security.
• The technological infrastructure behind Digital Sky Platform needs to be operationalized and strengthened by removing the bugs and simplifying the user interface.

The Kerala police department recently inaugurated the country’s first drone research lab to help crackdown on illegal drone use

Source: Livemint