Draft Drone Rules : Civil Aviation Ministry Proposes New Rules To Regulate Drone Related Activities

The Central Government has invited suggestions for Draft Drone Rules to regulate Drone Related Activities. These Rules, when notified, will repeal the Unmanned Aircraft System Rules 2021 which had come into force earlier this year. Objections and suggestions are invited from the public till 5th August 2021. In its preamble to the draft Rules, the Centre states that Unmanned Aircraft System (drones) offer immense opportunities for economic growth and employment generation and there is need to regulate the drone related activities in a manner such that they do not pose any risk to safety or security of people and assets. As per new Rules, the Drone Rules will be applied to (a) all persons owning or possessing or engaged in exporting, importing, manufacturing, trading, leasing, operating, transferring or maintaining a drone in India; and (b) all drones that are being operated for the time being, in or over India. ‘Drone’ is defined as an aircraft that can operate autonomously or can be operated remotely without a pilot on board.