The issue of 'fake' pilots, which has put Indian passengers as well as officials in a state of worry, will soon be resolved, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has completed the verification of various licences issued to airline transport pilots and commercial pilots.
In an interview with Mihir Mishra, Director General E K Bharat Bhushan says manpower crunch in DGCA is the reason behind fake pilots in the system. Edited excerpts:
How big and serious is the issue of ‘fake’ pilots that is doing the rounds for a while now?
It is not a huge issue, as it is only a handful of people (pilots) who were flying with fake licences; and they have already been detected. Even a DGCA official has been arrested. So, there is no need to panic but we also can’t let the situation to linger.
Tell us about the status of the verification of licences done by DGCA.
We have verified all 4,500 airline transport pilot licences (ALTPs) and have taken up the verification of all 10,000 commercial pilot licences (CPLs) issued so far because a few cases have been detected after a raid was conducted at a flying school in Jaipur.
How many cases have been detected to date, and when does DGCA plan to complete the whole process?
After the verification of ALTPs, we have found nine cases that have been reported to the police, while 16 more licences were cancelled after a raid at a flying school in Jaipur. The verification of ALTPs is over and that of CPLs will be completed in another three weeks.
What was the practice followed to fake a licence?
They (fake pilots) are all adopting the same technique. The exam is conducted by one division in DGCA. Only, students who clear the test, are given marksheets — not all who appear for the test.
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The question is what happens next. Some candidates, who can’t make it, work out these marksheets and give it to the licensing directorate, which issues the licence. However, it is a different matter that no cross-checking is done in this kind of practice. Also, there is no intranet system available, otherwise it would not have happened.
Was cross-checking never done?
No, it used to be. There was a time — till about 2006 — when the licensing department used to verify the mark sheets issued by the examination department. But as the number of students kept increasing sharply, that system was given up.
During that period, you must understand, the numbers would have been huge. We have restored the process now and there is no other way where anyone can get it without proper checking. The list of candidates who have passed the test, is provided to the directorate of licencing, making the process more transparent.
How much are the flying schools in the country responsible for the mess?
There are 40-odd flying schools in the country and we have put together three teams to audit these schools thoroughly in three months.
We are going to look at it from their infrastructure, the practices they are following and in terms of adequate manpower, teaching staff, and so on. If anyone does not fit the bill, they will have to make their ways.
The flying schools have been blamed for logging in fake flying hours. Is there a measure to stop it?
There are methodologies. The best is to put in place a system in which a pilot, after performing a sortie (one mission by a single plane), immediately logs in his/her flying hours to the computer and no one can tamper with it. We have the software.
Besides, there is a monthly report that these pilot-training institutes are supposed to submit with the details of fuel used, among other details. The pilot-training institutes have stopped sending it but we have asked them to start sending it now.
There has been talk of manpower crunch in DGCA. How big a concern is this?
Manpower crunch in DGCA is a major problem and that is why all these (the system generating fake pilots) are happening. We are a very small organisation, but at the same time, we have got so many roles to play.
Some time ago, we had created a lot of posts (vacancies), but as we are an associate office, filling these takes time.
Are you trying to expedite the recruitment process or fill the vacancies by hiring people from outside?
Not really. But we have now decided to hire 100 people on a short-term contract.
As you mentioned, the computerisation of the system would help in putting a tab on fraud. What is the status?
We have a comprehensive project for the computerisation of DGCA, which runs into several crores of rupees. Unfortunately, that has not really picked up and even the detailed project report is not ready. But I do not think we can afford to wait that long and will have to start the computerisation process with several departments.
What would you like to inform travellers, who fear from flying after the recent incident?
There is no reason for any concern, per se. Our system is there and we will take care of any aberration as and when detected. This is not a huge problem as some sections have made it out to be and there should be no panic. Of course, flyers can keep flying as ever.