New Delhi, December 1: The Civil Aviation Ministry on Saturday announced that nano drones in India can start flying legally with immediate effect as the Civil Aviation regulations come into force. The ministry also launched the 'Digital Sky Platform' for the registration of drones of micro and above categories, and their operators.

"Nano drones in India can start flying legally from today. For micro and above categories, operators and pilots are required to register on the Digital Sky Portal," the ministry said in a statement. The platform has begun accepting registrations of users. Payments for Unmanned Aerial Operator's Permit (UAOP) and Unique Identification Numbers (UIN) will be accepted through the Bharat Kosh (bharatkosh.gov.in) portal, it added.

To get permissions to fly Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), operators or remote pilots will have to file a flight plan. Flying in the ‘green zones' will require only intimation of the time and location of the flights via the portal or the app. Permissions will be required for flying in ‘yellow zones' and flights will not be allowed in the ‘red zones'.

"The location of these zones will be announced soon. Permission, if granted, will be available digitally on the portal," it said. Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Civil Aviation, said: "India will be taking lead in this sector and will be working with countries around the world to develop common, scalable standards. This industry has a large potential for Make in India and also to export drones and services from India."

The ministry has constituted a task-force on the recommendation of Drone Policy 2.0 under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha. This task-force which is expected to release their final report by the end of this year. Drone 2.0 framework for RPAS are expected to include regulatory architecture for autonomous flying, delivery via drones and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights.

Where you cannot fly drones:

People will be allowed to fly drones during the daytime and within the "visual line of sight". Areas around airports, near international border, Vijay Chowk in Delhi, State Secretariat Complex in state capitals, strategic locations and vital military installations have been declared as "no drone zones".

Drones can also not fly near "permanent or temporary Prohibited, Restricted and Danger Areas" and eco-sensitive zones. A person cannot operate the drone from a moving vehicle or aircraft.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 01, 2018 10:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).