Disclosure scheme to tag rogue drones rolled out

New Delhi, Jan 14: The Civil Aviation Ministry has announced a scheme for voluntary disclosure of non-compliant drones or unmanned aerial vehicles being operated in India. This move is aimed to make up for the lack of a comprehensive database.

A public notice issued read, " the presence of...drones as well as drone operators has come to the notice of the government, which do not comply with the CAR (civil aviation requirement)... If drones are operated without due permission, the aforesaid process of CAR is violated... In order to facilitate the identification of civil drones and drone operators, a one-time opportunity for voluntary disclosure of such drones and drone operators is now being provided."

The Ministry said that upon successful submission of voluntary disclosure, a Drone Acknowledgement Number and an Ownership Acknowledgement Number will be issued online. However the DAN or OAN will not confer the right to operate drones in India if it does not fulfil the provisions given in the CAR, the ministry also noted.