The Union Civil Aviation Ministry approved on August 5, 2021, that no Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) shall be permitted to fly within 25 kilometres from India’s international border which also includes the Line of Control (LoC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL).
This was notified by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh in a response to a question concerning the law of drones in the Lok Sabha. He stated that Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 have been published on March 12, 2021.
He announced that the laws comprise the different phases of the practice of drones specifically their ownership, registration, transfer, import and performance of drone traffic management including payment of fees and penalties.
The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 rule all civilian drone activities, as per the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Does the government distinguish between drones used for professional videography and UAVs for defence purposes?
Responding to this doubt, the Civil Aviation Ministry explained that the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 are referred to all Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for civilian objects including professional videography.
Though, the laws do not include the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for security purposes
Returning to the issue of whether the administration intends to control the practice of drones more strictly in border states and UTs like Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as connected to hinterlands and other major tourist stops, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced that as per Rule 37(2)(e) under UAS Rules, 2021, no Unmanned Aircraft System can be controlled within 25 kilometres from the international border which covers Line of Control (LoC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL).
As per the law, the regulation of drones in limited areas is granted only after the permission of the Central Government, in extraordinary situations.