NAL to develop drones for civilian use: Minister
Bengaluru, Aug 13 : State-run National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) will develop drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for civilian use in various sectors, a Union Minister said on Monday.
"The UAVs developed at NAL will be used in surveillance, agriculture, health, forests, mining and other civil sectors," Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan told reporters after unveiling NAL's UAV design and integration facility here.
Noting that the drones will help boost productivity in every sector with better monitoring, Vardhan said the UAV use will contribute to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Stating that every technology developed needs to find its use in public and private sectors, Vardhan said that NAL, working under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), will also accept commercial orders for developing drones.
NAL Director Jitendra J. Jadhav told IANS that the hi-tech facility, set up at a cost of Rs 2 crore, has an installed capacity to develop 30 drones a month.
The facility can design, prototype and develop drones that can carry payloads from 5kg-100 kg with a two-metre wing span.
The NAL will make prototypes and tie-up with state-run firms like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) or a private partner to manufacture the drones in case of large orders.
"The UAVs are as important as fighter aircraft," the Minister added.
Apart from the critical strategic and commercial surveillance, drones find their use in mapping of crops, mines and water bodies, search and rescue operations, transport of medicines or organs for transplantation.
The state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation, which also develops UAVs, makes drone technologies with a payload capacity up to 250 kg.
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Cong set to lose Karnataka bypolls as per govt intelligence report: BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP on Monday claimed that, according to the Congress government’s own intelligence report, the ruling party is set to lose the by-elections in two Assembly segments in Karnataka.
Expressing confidence of a big win in the bypolls, BJP leaders said people would "teach a lesson" to the Congress, accusing it of being "anti-development".
"There has been good campaigning in both constituencies. There is confusion within Congress. In the Davanagere South segment, Muslims have decided not to vote for them, while in Bagalkot, there is infighting within the Congress candidate’s family," Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the CM, who had gone to campaign in Kerala, rushed back to Bagalkot following the intelligence report indicating that the Congress could lose the bypolls.
"I want to ask the Congress why it is struggling in the by-elections when it makes big claims about development and implementing guarantee schemes. Are you in a position where people will vote for you voluntarily?" he asked.
Alleging "zero development" under the Congress rule so far, the opposition leader said Siddaramaiah has made Karnataka a "debt state."
"There is no proper development, and the money under guarantee schemes is not being paid to beneficiaries on time," he added.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra said the bypolls in the two Assembly segments have "disturbed CM Siddaramaiah’s sleep" and become a "hard nut to crack" for the Congress government.
He said that for nearly three years, the Congress government, including the chief minister and ministers, has blamed the central government for "hiding its failures".
Despite having an experienced CM who has presented a record 17 budgets, there has been no development in the state, he claimed, adding that Siddaramaiah and his government have "completely forgotten" the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) communities.
Asserting that people are seeking change and will not fall for Congress's "allurements", the BJP leader said the party is confident of winning the bypolls.
He said there is significant anger among voters towards the Congress government, which could signal a future political shift in the state.
Even minority communities have realised that their development is not possible under the Congress and will support the BJP, he said, adding that the party is "not anti-minorities."
