National Air Sports Policy :
- The government released a Draft National Policy for air sports in the country.
- The policy proposes two-tier governanace structure for air sports in the country.
- It will include an apex governing system called Air Sports Fedaration of India(ASFI) and associations.
- ASFI will cover activities like aerobatics,aeromodelling, amateur-built, ballooning and drones gliding ,hang gliding, para gliding, micro lighting ,para motoring, skydiving,and vintage aircraft.
- The ASFI will be an autonomus body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- The Fedaration will represent India at the Federation Aeronaautique Internationale(FAI) and other global paltforms related to air sports.
- The global governing body for air sports headquarters located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- It will proveded governance over various aspects of airsports , including regulation, certification, awards,and penalties.
- It is proposed popular air sports attractions in the country such as Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh (also known as India's Pragliding Capital),Gangtok in sikkim, Hadapsar in Maharashtra and Vagamon in Kerala can be declared as a "Control zone" for air sports in order to ensure the safety of other manned aircraft.
- The draft policy also aims to promote domestic design, development and manufacturing of air sports.
- Air Sports equipment under the Atmanirbar Bharath Abhiyan ; The government will request the GST Council to consider rationalising the GST rate on air sports equipment to 5% or less.
- Schools and colleges will be encouraged to include airsports in their curriculam and their students will have the oppurtunity to participate in the FAI's internatiotnal competitions.