A bill aimed at modernising India’s civil aviation regulations was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, replacing the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu presented the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak amid opposition protests over the bill’s Hindi title.
Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill
Why In News
- A bill aimed at modernising India’s civil aviation regulations was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, replacing the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu presented the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak amid opposition protests over the bill’s Hindi title.
- Opponents, including RSP member N.K. Premachandran, questioned the rationale behind the bill’s Hindi name, arguing that it could be inaccessible to people from South India.
Why Aircraft Act Amended 21 Times
- Under the statement of objects and reasons, the government has said, “The Aircraft Act, 1934, has been amended several times to enhance safety, oversight, and to meet requirements for sustainable growth of the aviation sector and to give effect to the provisions of international conventions.
- As a result of numerous amendments over a period of ninety years, a need is felt to address the ambiguities and confusion experienced by the stakeholders, to remove redundancies, to enable ease of doing business, to provide for manufacture and maintenance in the aviation sector, and to re-enact the aforesaid Act in the form of a Bill, namely, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024.”
Enhanced Authority For Civil Aviation Bodies
- The bill seeks to grant increased powers to key aviation bodies, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
- These bodies will receive broader authority to regulate and oversee the aviation sector, ensuring stricter compliance and enhanced safety standards.
Key Provisions And Regulations
- There are a total of 44 clauses in the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024.
- Provide for the design, manufacture, and maintenance of aircraft and related equipment.
- Empower the Central Government to regulate the issuance of Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificates and licenses to provide for ease of business.
- Empower the Central Government to make rules to implement the Convention relating to international civil aviation and other matters relating to civil aviation security.
- It also empowers the government to make rules to investigate any accident or incident; prevent dangers to public health arising from the introduction or spread of any infectious or contagious disease
- Empower the Central Government to issue orders in emergencies in the interest of public safety or tranquility.
- Provide for payment of compensation for loss or damage in such manner as provided under the Act.
- Provide for appeals against matters relating to compensation, licenses, certificates, or approvals, and adjudication of penalties.
- Provide for imprisonment, fines, or penalties for contravention of the provisions of the Act or the rules made thereunder.
- Remove ambiguities and redundancies.
- Provide for the repeal of the Aircraft Act, 1934, and the saving of acts done under the said Act.
Conclusion
- Additionally, the bill establishes norms for the cancellation of licenses in cases of dangerous flying and provides guidelines for compensating passengers. It also covers the detention, possession, and repossession of aircraft, providing a comprehensive framework for managing aviation operations in India.
