Parliament Question: Status of Whistleblower protection framework in civil aviation safety reporting

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2572 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16th March 2026 STATUS OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION FRAMEWORK IN CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY REPORTING 2572. SHRI S NIRANJAN REDDY Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government has examined the observation of the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its report on Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector that penalties of up to Rs. 25 lakh on individual Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) are counter-productive and discourage voluntary error reporting; (b) whether adequate legal protection exists for aviation personnel reporting safety lapses; (c) whether Government has accepted the Committee's recommendation to review such penal provisions and establish a whistleblower protection framework; and (d) the measures proposed to ensure that fear of punitive action does not suppress safety disclosures in the sector? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (d): Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has established Voluntary Safety Reporting System (VSRS) under Rule 29F of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and has further implemented these provisions through Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) and Air Safety Circulars concerning the protection of safety information and the filing of voluntary safety reports. As per Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) 16/2021 issued by DGCA, the Voluntary Safety Reporting System shall be non-punitive and afford protection to the sources of the information. The information collected shall be handled in a manner so as to prevent its use for purposes other than safety, and shall appropriately be safe guarded and the confidentiality about the identity of the person making report shall be maintained. ******