New Delhi: The central government has amended rules allowing citizens to become drone pilots using any government-issued identity and address proof. The Ministry of Civil Aviation Thursday said it has notified the new Drone (Amendment) Rules 2023, which allows any citizen with government-issued identity and address proof to become a drone pilot.
The rule is effective from September 27, 2023. A release issued by the ministry on October 5 read: “Exercising the power bestowed upon it by section 5, sub-section 2 of section 10 and sections 10A, 10B, and 12A of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (22 of 1934), the Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified the new Drone (Amendment) Rules 2023 for drone pilots.”
The amendment has clarified that a government-issued proof of identity and a government-issued proof of address i.e., voter ID, ration card, or driving license will now be accepted to apply for a Remote Pilot Certificate even if the drone pilot does not have a passport.
The drone sector in India has the potential to significantly impact defense, surveillance, internal security, disaster management, agriculture, healthcare, geo-spatial mapping, mining, infrastructure, and aerial photography and cinematography, among many other areas.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in August 2021, issued liberalised Drone Rules to create a growth-oriented regulatory framework for drones. The policy, among other rules, labelled approximately 90% of airspace as Green Zone and allowed the operation of drones up to a vertical distance of 120 metres.
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