Minister for Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu introduced the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill in Lok Sabha today. The Bill empowers the central government regarding regulation and control of the design, manufacture, maintenance, possession, use, operation, sale, export, and import of aircraft and matters connected therewith or incidental to it.

While introducing the bill the Union Civil Aviation Minister said that the Aircraft Act was established in 1934 and multiple amendments have been made so far. This has created confusion in the act and the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak is brought to clear out the confusion.

Under the bill’s provisions of section 34, the central government can make rules for carrying out the convention relating to International Civil Aviation signed in Chicago on December 7, 1994.

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Additionally, the central government can also make rules for the issuance of Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificates and Licences to the persons who are engaged in the operation and maintenance of aircraft, which is in accordance with the provisions of the International Telecommunication Convention.

The tabled bill that is ‘Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill’ will bring the Radio Telephone Operator Certificate exam under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (DGCA) instead of the Department of Telecommunications.

According to one aviation journalist Jagriti Chandra who commented on the introduction of the bill today, “This has been the toughest paper to crack because of corruption allegations. Many have had to pay bribes to sit for this exam.”