SwaYaan Initiative & NIDAR

MeitY and Drone Federation India launched NIDAR, a National Innovation Challenge for drone applications and research, under the ‘SwaYaan’ initiative for HR development in unmanned aircraft systems.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

UAS are air vehicles and associated equipment that do not carry a human operator, but instead are remotely piloted or fly autonomously.
UAS commonly are referred to as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and drones.

About SwaYaan Initiative

Approved by MeitY: In July 2022.
Purpose: Focuses on building human resource capacity building for human resource development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including drones and related technologies
Target: Train 42,560 participants through formal and non-formal programs.
Implementation:
- Hub-and-Spoke Model: Involves 30 premium institutions like IISc, IITs, IIITs, NITs, CDAC, and NIELIT.
- Key Themes: Drone Electronics. GNC Algorithms Simulation. Aeromechanics. Drone Applications. Allied UAS Technologies.
Achievements:
- Over 14,000 beneficiaries trained.
- Launch of M.Tech in UAS Engineering at IIT Kanpur.
- Multiple minor degree programs, bootcamps, and workshops conducted.
- Industry engagement through innovation challenges and meets.

National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR)

Launched by: It is launched by MeitY in collaboration with Drone Federation India (DFI) as part of SwaYaan project.
Aim: To inspire students and researchers to develop collaborative autonomous drones for real-world challenges.
Domains: Two critical domains
- Disaster Management (Scout & Deliver Drones): For survivor identification, communication, and parcel delivery in disaster zones.
- Precision Agriculture (Scan & Spray Drones): For crop health monitoring and precise pesticide/nutrient delivery.

Use of Drones and Related Policies in India

SVAMITVA Scheme: Drones used for village mapping to create land entitlement records.
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI): Drones used for construction progress monitoring of new highways.
Mining Sector: Mandatory drone surveys for mines over 50 hectares or with annual excavation of 1 million tonnes.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Subsidy of INR 10 lakhs for purchasing agricultural drones.
- Drone demonstrations by agricultural institutes to promote Kisan drones.
State Governments: Jharkhand: Drones used for forest fire monitoring and tracking wild tuskers.
- Bihar: Drones used to detect illegal liquor manufacturing.
Defense: Army uses drones for surveillance in high-altitude border areas.

Drone regulations in India

National Counter Rogue Drone Guidelines: In 2019, the Ministry of Civil Aviation released the document to lay out guidelines assessing drone threat.
Drone Rules 2021: It divides the Indian airspace into three zones Green, Yellow and Red based on acceptability of flying drones.
- Red zones are no go zones where no drones can be operated except for a permission given by the Central Government.

Global News Related to Drones

Australia: Drones used to collect whale mucus from water sprays for health analysis.
Ghana: Over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines delivered via drones.
NASA: Ingenuity drone successfully flew on Mars.
Volcano Studies: Drones used to study active volcano craters for recent activity analysis.

Also Read
UPSC Daily Editorials	UPSC Daily Current Affairs
Daily Current Affairs Quiz	Daily Main Answer Writing
Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store	UPSC Test Series
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store	Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store