Centre's first drone pilot training programme announced at IGRUA
Amethi (UP):; The Centre-run flight training institute Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) here on Saturday announced its expansion plan to begin drone pilot training courses, a first of its kind initiative by a government body.
The premier aircraft pilot training institute in Uttar Pradesh had recently entered into an agreement with Delhi-based private firm Drone Destination for the collaborative effort.
Noting that drones are an absolutely new and emerging area with immeasurable potential and opportunities, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said the making of drones is becoming a reality in India .
We led the software revolution, and in the drone revolution also we have the potential of becoming number one. In that direction, we have taken a small step. The first thing is even drone operations require pilots and one of the first training centers for drones is being established in IGRUA, Kharola said.
The entire regulatory framework for drones has been put in place and very soon drones would be regulated, monitored, observed, and controlled just as is being done for aircraft, he added.
He also noted that in the coming years, the number of drones flying in the Indian skies may go into hundreds of thousands and their monitoring would be a challenge.
The challenge is that we have to ensure that not only we become leaders in drone manufacturing but also in their management, Kharola said.
He also mooted the idea for IGRUA, a government-run autonomous institute, to eventually move into drone manufacturing, design, and management besides imparting training for its pilots.
Kharola, who was joined by MOCA Joint Secretary Amber Dubey, was speaking at the 36th foundation day of IGRUA.
IGRUA Director Krishnendu Gupta said drone pilot training would begin shortly at the institute's campus located at Fursatganj in Amethi.
Under the collaborative initiative, IGRUA will provide its resources while the Drone Destination will chip in with its expertise in drones to train the aspirants, Gupta told PTI.
He said the course duration would be around two-weeks and added that the institute will soon also begin a programme on English Language Proficiency (ELP).
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RJD surprise element in J’khand polls, party candidates leading in 5 of 6 assembly seats
Ranchi(PTI): The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has emerged as a surprise element in the Jharkhand assembly elections with its candidates leading in five of the six seats where the party is contesting, according to trends available on the Election Commission's website on Saturday.
RJD candidates in five assembly seats were leading over sitting BJP legislators.
In 2019, RJD had secured only the Chatra seat where its nominee Satyanand Bhokta won.
In Deoghar, RJD’s Suresh Paswan was leading by 19,581 votes over his nearest rival and BJP's sitting MLA Narayan Das after the third round of counting.
RJD’s Sanjay Prasad Yadav was ahead by 19,867 votes in Godda over BJP MLA Amit Kumar Mandal after the sixth round of counting.
In Koderma, RJD nominee Subhash Prasad Yadav, who was out on bail, was leading by a margin of 3,471 votes over BJP’s sitting legislator Neera Yadav.
Subhas Prasad Yadav, considered to be one of the close aides of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case.
Party’s Naresh Prasad Singh was leading by 5,159 votes after the fourth round of counting over BJP’s Bishrampur MLA Ramchandra Chandravanshi.
RJD's Sanjay Kumar Singh Yadav was also leading from Hussainabad by 8,213 votes after the fourth round of counting over BJP MLA Kamlesh Kumar Singh.
Party’s candidate Rashmi Prakash, however, was trailing from Chatra by 3,776 votes.
Bhokta did not contest the elections this time, and his daughter-in-law Prakash was given a ticket.
