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.

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.