Law Conflicts in Aviation: Governing Drone Offenses under Indian and International Jurisprudence

  • Unique Paper ID: 185941
  • PageNo: 3764-3770
  • Abstract:
  • Drones, also referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have revolutionized aviation and changed how technology, law, and security interact. Drones, which were first created for military use, are now used for a variety of commercial and civilian tasks, such as farming, logistics, surveillance, disaster relief, and infrastructure inspection. But because of their dual-use nature, they pose serious hazards, including as terrorism, cybercrime, espionage, and smuggling, which puts conventional regulatory and enforcement systems to the test. The Drone Rules, 2021, which set licensing, operating, and safety guidelines, serve as the cornerstone of India's drone laws. In order to handle illegal, dangerous, or malevolent drone operations, these regulations are complemented by laws included in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Indian framework is conceptually extensive, but it has real-world restrictions in terms of interagency collaboration, technology integration, and enforcement. Different countries have different regulatory strategies. Airspace safety, operational standards, and the incorporation of UAVs into traditional aviation are priorities for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). While the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses its Part 107 framework to strike a balance between innovation and national security concerns, the European Union (EU) has enacted standardized drone regulations with strict certification and operational criteria.This comparative study emphasizes that, despite its seeming strength, India's drone governance needs improved cross-sector cooperation, technology monitoring, and enforcement measures. It comes to the conclusion that in order to reduce risks and promote the safe, effective, and profitable use of drones in both the commercial and civilian sectors, it is imperative to implement a single anti drone law, integrate cutting-edge surveillance technology, and encourage interagency cooperation.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{185941,
        author = {Prashant Kumar},
        title = {Law Conflicts in Aviation: Governing Drone Offenses under Indian and International Jurisprudence},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {5},
        pages = {3764-3770},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=185941},
        abstract = {Drones, also referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have revolutionized aviation and changed how technology, law, and security interact. Drones, which were first created for military use, are now used for a variety of commercial and civilian tasks, such as farming, logistics, surveillance, disaster relief, and infrastructure inspection. But because of their dual-use nature, they pose serious hazards, including as terrorism, cybercrime, espionage, and smuggling, which puts conventional regulatory and enforcement systems to the test.
The Drone Rules, 2021, which set licensing, operating, and safety guidelines, serve as the cornerstone of India's drone laws. In order to handle illegal, dangerous, or malevolent drone operations, these regulations are complemented by laws included in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Indian framework is conceptually extensive, but it has real-world restrictions in terms of interagency collaboration, technology integration, and enforcement.
Different countries have different regulatory strategies. Airspace safety, operational standards, and the incorporation of UAVs into traditional aviation are priorities for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). While the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses its Part 107 framework to strike a balance between innovation and national security concerns, the European Union (EU) has enacted standardized drone regulations with strict certification and operational criteria.This comparative study emphasizes that, despite its seeming strength, India's drone governance needs improved cross-sector cooperation, technology monitoring, and enforcement measures. It comes to the conclusion that in order to reduce risks and promote the safe, effective, and profitable use of drones in both the commercial and civilian sectors, it is imperative to implement a single anti drone law, integrate cutting-edge surveillance technology, and encourage interagency cooperation.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {October},
        }

Cite This Article

Kumar, P. (2025). Law Conflicts in Aviation: Governing Drone Offenses under Indian and International Jurisprudence. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(5), 3764–3770.

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