22-Jan-2019: PM launches Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana
Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana (PTDY) was introduced in FY 2018-19 for elderly generation of PIOs between the age group of 45-65 years from 07 Girmitiya countries (Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, South Africa, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Reunion Island).
The Scheme is aimed towards providing the PIOs an opportunity to reconnect with their Indian roots through a sponsored pilgrimage tour across India. The programme is targeted at those PIOs in Girmitiya countries who belong to lower income group and are unable to afford a visit to India. It is a 17 days programme which has conducted in coordination with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC).
So far, 04 editions of PTDY have been conducted with the participation of 160 PIOs, 40 in each group.
The entire process for applying, processing etc. is through a Portal https://kip.gov.in.
Who are Girmityas?
Girmityas or Jahajis are descendants of indentured Indian labourers brought to Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, East Africa, the Malay Peninsula, Caribbean and South America (Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname) to work on sugarcane plantations for the prosperity of the European settlers and save the Fijians from having to work on these plantations and thus to preserve their culture.
The term Girmitiya was coined by Mahatma Gandhi who referred to himself as first Girmitiya. The countries where these indentured Indian labourers settled are known as Girmitiya countries.
1-Dec-2018: Digital Sky Platform launched
Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), popularly referred to as drones, are a technology platform with wide-ranging applications. In August 2018, India had announced the release of its Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) to enable safe flying of RPAS in India. The CAR detailed the obligations of operators, remote pilots/ users and manufacturers/ OEM for safe operations of RPAS and co-operative use of airspace. It also announced Digital Sky Platform, a first of its kind that implements 'no permission, no take-off’ (NPNT) – a novel system of software-based self-enforcement to minimize deviations from the CAR. The regulations were to come in effect from December 1, allowing the industry time to ready themselves for the launch. 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 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.
To get permissions to fly, 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.
If an RPAS does not have permission to fly, it will not be allowed to take-off under the policy of No-Permission-No-Takeoff (NPNT). This aspect of the portal is expected to be live soon. Existing drone operators are requested to contact their manufacturers for NPNT-compliant firmware upgrades & Equipment Type Approvals (ETA) from WPC Wing of DoT. Potential drone owners are required to buy NPNT-compliant RPAS. A point of contact in the WPC is available on the Digital Sky Website DGCA has released a list of Frequently Asked Questions as well as a list of Do’s & Don’ts for safe flying.
A detailed RPAS Guidance Manual has been released in November and is available on the DGCA website. This includes technical Specifications for NPNT compliance that will help manufacturers roll out relevant upgrades to their RPAS. The import of drones is now permitted as well, and a point of contact in the DGFT is available on the Digital Sky Website.
The Digital Sky Platform is built to evolve with the evolving needs of this rapidly changing industry. In the coming months, new features will be developed to ease the process of flying for users, and provide oversight to security agencies. Furthermore, it is envisioned that in the future Digital Sky Service Providers (DSPs) will be extending the functionality of the platform through Application Program Interfaces (APIs).
Drones are a frontier technology which has the potential to leapfrog India’s economic growth. This technology can greatly benefit our farmers, infrastructure entities like railways, roads, ports, mines and factories, sectors like insurance, photography, entertainment, etc.
The Minister for Civil Aviation has constituted a task-force on the recommendation of Drone Policy 2.0 under the chairmanship of the Minister of State. 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.
5-Dec-2018: Delhi government launches free pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens
The Delhi government launched the 'Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana' -- which offers free travel packages on five religious circuits for senior citizens from the national capital. The scheme, approved by the Cabinet in July, was launched by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat.
The scheme will enable 1,100 senior citizens from each Assembly constituency of Delhi per year to undertake free pilgrimage, the expenses for which will be borne by the Delhi government. A total of 77,000 pilgrims will be able to avail this facility every year.
The pilgrimage duration will be of three days and two nights and will be for any of the following routes: Delhi-Mathura-Vrindavan-Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Delhi; Delhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Neelkanth-Delhi; Delhi-Ajmer-Pushkar-Delhi; Delhi-Amritsar-Wagah border-Anandpur Sahib-Delhi; or Delhi-Vaishno Devi-Jammu-Delhi.
Under the scheme, any resident of Delhi above 60 years of age will be eligible for the scheme and those above 70 years can have one attendant.
Voter ID card and recommendation from the MLA will be mandatory. The scheme does not have any income criterion, but preference will be given to those who are from the economically weaker section. It will be given out on first-come-first-served basis.
The applicant should not be an employee of the central, state, local government or autonomous bodies. The journey will be performed through Indian Railways.