It’s become easier to own and operate a drone: All you need to know about Drone Rules 2021

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The Union Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday officially notified the national drone policy which makes it much easier for individuals and companies to own and operate drones as no security clearance is required before registration or license issuance. Several cumbersome and time-consuming approvals that were earlier required have also been done away with.</p>
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<strong>Here's all you need to know about the Drone Rules 2021 </strong></p>
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<strong>1.</strong> Under the new rules, coverage of drones has been increased from 300kg to 500kg to include heavy payload-carrying drones and drone taxis.</p>
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<strong>2.</strong> No security clearance is required before any registration or license issuance for drones. The requisite fees for permissions have also been reduced to nominal levels.</p>
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<strong>3.</strong> Several cumbersome approvals have been abolished, including the unique authorisation number, the unique prototype identification number, the certificate of conformance, the certificate of maintenance, the operator permits, the authorisation of the R&D organisation, and remote pilot instructor authorisation, among others.</p>
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<strong>4.</strong> Under the new national drone policy, the maximum penalty for violating rules has been reduced to Rs 1 lakh.</p>
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<strong>5.</strong> An Unmanned Aircraft Systems Promotion Council is to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.</p>
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<strong>6.</strong>The import of drones will be regulated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).</p>
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<strong>7.</strong> Drone corridors will also be developed for cargo deliveries, the new rules state.</p>
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<strong>8.</strong> Interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform. The yellow zone has been reduced from 45km to 12km from the airport perimeter. No permission is required for operating a drone in the green zone and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 km-12 km from the perimeter of an airport.</p>
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<strong>9. </strong>Online registration of all zones shall occur through the Digital Sky platform, with an easy process prescribed for the transfer and deregistration of drones.</p>
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<strong>10.</strong> The new drone policy aims to provide for the regularisation of the existing drones in India. All drone training and examination will be carried out by an authorised drone school. The DGCA shall prescribe training requirements, oversee drone schools, and provide pilot licenses online.</p>
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<strong>11.</strong> Safety features like 'No permission – no take-off (NPNT)' real-time tracking beacon and geo-fencing will be notified in the future. A minimum six-month lead time will be provided for compliance, the policy states.</p>