The National Test House (Northern Region,Ghaziabad) has been provisionally approved by the Quality Council of India as the certification body for type certification of drones.
National Testing House Leads India’s First Drone Certification Under Drone Rules 2021
- The move is a part of the Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and aligns with the Government’s objective to foster a robust and globally competitive drone ecosystem under Drone Rules 2021
- Type certification under Drone Rules 2021 is mandatory to operate in India
- Objective: The NTH is tasked with evaluating drone models to ensure compliance with applicable national and international standards.
- The National Testing House is the only government agency authorised by the DGCA to certify drone models which were the prerogative of multinational companies earlier.
- NTH First Drone Certification Case: The first stage of certification process of Krishiraj drone is already completed with the second stage audit to be held shortly and a report will be forwarded to the DGCA.
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About The National Testing House
- The National Testing House is a multidisciplinary industrial central government’s testing laboratory which provides testing, calibration and quality evaluation functions to industry, commerce, trade etc. as per international and national standards.
- Establishment: It was established in 1912, in the light of the Industrial Revolution. The journey started from the centre located in the south of Kolkata-Alipore, named as “The Government Test House”.
- Regional Houses: NTH has its branches established at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Varanasi .
- Nodal Ministry: NTH operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- Focus Areas:
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- Testing & Evaluation: It tests and evaluates materials, products, equipments, modules, system and sub-system in practically all branches of Science & technology.
- Calibration: On-site testing and calibration at the premises of the customer.
Quality Council of India
- QCI is a National body for Accreditation, set up through the PPP model as an independent autonomous organisation
- Collaboration: The Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by,
- Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
- Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
- Establishment: It came into being through a Cabinet decision in 1996 on the recommendations of the Expert Mission of the EU after consultations in the Inter-ministerial Task Force.
- Registered: QCI is a non-profit organization registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
- Nodal Agency: The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- Objective: To create a mechanism for independent third party assessment of products, services and processes in sectors like education, healthcare, environment protection, governance, infrastructure etc.
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- Product Development Assistance: Assist industries in developing indigenous products for export promotion and import substitution besides their quality assurance programme.
- R&D Testing Technology: Assist industries and users’ organization with R & D work in Test Engineering
- Training and Consultancy: It provides Training to the Scientists, Technologists and Technicians of various industries, users organizations and professional Institutions in the areas of technology
- Standardization: NTH partners in standardization and the formulation of National Standards, and by supporting the Bureau of Indian Standards (formerly Indian Standards Institution).
- Accreditation: NTH provides assistance to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in accrediting testing and calibration laboratories across the country.
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Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS)
- Legal Provision: The Type Certification rule for Drones were established under “The Drones Rules 2021” by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
- Agencies: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) formalized this initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body established by the Government of India
- Objective: To create a global accredited certification framework for drones so as to responsibly expand the commercial applications of diverse drone technologies while ensuring necessary safeguards.
- Standards: CSUAS is structured in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17065 product certification requirements.
- Significance:
- Certified drones can now operate for various commercial purposes as well within the specified regulatory framework.
- Foster Competitiveness: Indian drone manufacturers will now not only meet domestic requirements but also compete on a global scale and promote Make in India.
- Conformity Assessment Framework: The Scheme will emphasize the importance of a conformity assessment framework that prioritizes parameters such as quality, reliability, and safety of drones
- Digital Platform: The entire certification procedure has been streamlined into a digital format and the Type Certification process is initiated by submitting Form D1 through the Digital Sky Platform, managed by DGCA.
- The Digital Sky Platform serves as a comprehensive solution for all drone-related activities in India.
- Criteria: The CSUAS defines the ten clauses or criteria for certification along with drone category and classification as per The Drones Rules 2021. These are as follow,
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September 12, 2024
