**Executive Summary:**
This document is a response to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the Ministry of Civil Aviation's (MoCA) budget allocation for the Financial Year 2025, staffing levels at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and related safety concerns. It addresses budget reductions for FY 2025-26 compared to revised estimates of FY 2024-25 while highlighting increases over previous budget estimates and details the status of vacant posts in DGCA and BCAS with explanations of recruitment efforts.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Budget Allocation:**
* The Budget Estimates for FY 2025-26 show a decrease of approximately 10% (Rs. 2,400.31 crore) compared to the Revised Estimates of 2024-25 (Rs. 2,658.68 crore) but an increase over the Budget Estimates of the previous year (Rs. 2,357.14 crore).
* The Budget Estimates for 2025-26 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN (Rs. 540.00 crore) shows a decrease from the previous year's Revised Estimates (Rs. 800.00 crore) but an increase over the previous year's Budget Estimates (Rs. 502.00 crore).
* **Staffing Levels:**
* DGCA has 823 vacant posts out of 1644 sanctioned posts (50.06%).
* BCAS has 230 vacant posts out of 598 sanctioned posts (38.46%).
* **Safety and Recruitment:**
* The budgetary allocation for safety-critical agencies, DGCA and BCAS, has increased in FY 2025-26 compared to FY 2024-25.
* 441 posts, including 426 technical posts, have been created in DGCA between 2022 and 2024.
* DGCA is actively pursuing all methods of recruitment, including short-term contractual hiring, to address vacancies.
* BCAS recruits personnel on a deputation basis and periodically circulates vacancy circulars.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA):**
* *Impact:* Requires managing budget allocations effectively and addressing staffing shortages in critical agencies.
* *Action Required:* Continue efforts to optimize resource allocation, expedite recruitment processes, and ensure safety and regulatory integrity.
* **Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):**
* *Impact:* Faces challenges in maintaining regulatory oversight, safety audits, and enforcement of aviation norms due to significant vacancies.
* *Action Required:* Prioritize filling critical vacancies through various recruitment methods and leverage short-term contractual hiring to meet immediate needs.
* **Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS):**
* *Impact:* Experiences potential strain on operational capacity due to a substantial number of vacant posts.
* *Action Required:* Continue circulating vacancy circulars and actively seek personnel on deputation to fill vacant positions and strengthen operational capacity.
* **Civil Aviation Sector/General Public:**
* *Impact:* Relies on the effective functioning of DGCA and BCAS to ensure safety and regulatory compliance within the aviation industry.
* *Action Required:* N/A, expect that the MoCA, DGCA and BCAS will take appropriate action to maintain and improve safety standards.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation of national policies and programmes for the development and regulation of the Civil Aviation sector.
SMT Kanimozhi Karunanidhi: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, who raised the unstarred question.
Financial Year 2025: The financial year under discussion in the question regarding budget allocation.
UDAN regional connectivity scheme: A regional airport development and Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the Government of India.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA: The regulatory body for civil aviation in India.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security BCAS: An attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, it is the regulator for civil aviation security in India.
Shri Murlidhar Mohol: Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation who provided the answer.
FY 202526: The current Financial Year for which budget estimates are presented.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2017
st
(To be answered on the 31 July 2025)
REDUCTION IN BUDGET ALLOCATION
2017. SMT KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government is aware that the budget allocation for the
Ministry of Civil Aviation has been reduced by nearly 10 per cent to Rupees
2,400.31 crore for the Financial Year 2025 and that funding for the UDAN
regional connectivity scheme has been slashed to Rupees 540 crore and if so,
the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is also aware that approximately 48 per cent of
posts in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and 37 per cent in
the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) remain vacant, raising serious
concerns over regulatory oversight, safety audits and enforcement of aviation
norms and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the reasons for continued budgetary cuts and understaffing in safety-
critical agencies despite recent aeroplane accidents and near-miss incidents
across the airports of the country; and
(d) the steps being taken to strengthen institutional capacity, fill critical
vacancies and ensure that safety and regulatory integrity in the civil aviation
sector are not compromised?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) The Budget Estimates for FY 2025-26 (Rs. 2,400.31 crore) shows a
decrease of approximately 10% over the Revised Estimates of 2024 25 (Rs.
2,658.68 crore). However, it still reflects an increase over the previous year's
Budget Estimates of Rs. 2,357.14 crore.
The Budget Estimates for 2025-26 (Rs. 540.00 crore) under Regional
Connectivity Scheme-UDAN shows a decrease from the previous year's
Revised Estimates of Rs. 800.00 crore. However, it still reflects an increase
over the previous year's Budget Estimates of Rs. 502.00 crore.(b) to (d) Out of the total 1644 sanctioned posts of Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA), 823 posts (50.06%) are vacant. For Bureau of Civil
Aviation Security (BCAS), out of the total of 598 sanctioned posts, 230 posts
(38.46%) are vacant.
The Budgetary allocation for safety critical agencies namely DGCA and
BCAS of MoCA has been increased in the current Financial Year 2025-26
from the past FY 2024-25. Hence, there is no budgetary cut for safety critical
agencies of MoCA.
441 posts including 426 technical posts in DGCA have been created between
2022 and 2024. All methods of recruitment are pursued vigorously in order to
ensure timely and continuous availability of requisite manpower at DGCA to
meet requirements in the interregnum due to vacancies arising, efforts are
also made to recruit persons through short term contractual hiring.
BCAS is a deputation-based organisation wherein personnel are recruited on
deputation basis from various security organisations. Since, filling up of posts
on deputation basis is a dynamic process and as part of its ongoing efforts to
strengthen operational capacity, BCAS periodically circulates vacancy
circulars for filling up of posts on deputation basis.
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