FICCI organised a Seminar on “India’s Internal Security & UAVs” on December 14, 2015 at Federation House, New Delhi. Mr. Rajiv Mehrishi, Union Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Air Vice Marshal V. R. Chaudhari, Indian Air Force; Air Vice Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva, National Technical Research Organisation; Ms. Manjari Jaruhar, Chairperson FICCI Committee on Private Security Industry and Former Special DG – CISF; and Dr. A. Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, addressed the inaugural session of the programme.
Mr. Rajiv Mehrishi highlighted the need to build a technology intensive security framework for the proper control of UAVs in the country. He emphasised that UAV technology has both positive and negative aspects, and thus policy regulations need to be both preventive as well as enabling.
He urged FICCI to formulate separate committees in all the three areas, and submit its recommendations to the government so as to formulate a comprehensive policy framework for use of UAVs in the country. Speaking at this occasion, Air Vice Marshal V. R. Chaudhari highlighted some of the security concerns of unauthorised use of UAVs and also provided examples where drones have intruded into the security system . UAVs could be a potential means to carry out attacks in order to disrupt law and order. On the one hand UAVs are an asset and there is proliferation of civil use of UAVs, on the other, there is a lack of awareness on the safety and security impact of UAVs.
Ms. Manjari Jaruhar, Chairperson FICCI Committee on Private Security Industry and Former Special DG – CISF, reflected on the fact that UAVs could be manufactured locally, thus, there is potential for unwanted use of UAVs. There is definitely a need to bring in proper regulation to encourage positive use of UAVs, and prevent and eliminate its unwanted use.
The first session of the seminar ‘Technical Presentations on Tracking & Neutralising UAVs’ focused on emerging technologies for tracking and neutralization of unidentified Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Speakers in this session shared their perspectives on technologies and solutions which could be utilized to counter possible security threats emerging from misuse of UAVs.
The second session ‘Policy & Regulatory Framework for Civilian Usage of UAVs in India’ was a panel discussion which was moderated by Maj. Gen. R.K. Arora, CEO & Chief Editor, Indian Military Review. The discussions during this session were primarily around the possible concerns related to lack of regulation for civilian usage of UAVs; challenges it poses to national security, civilian safety, privacy etc.; and need for an enabling policy framework for civilian usage of drones.
