{"id":47123,"date":"2025-05-25T23:49:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T18:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=47123"},"modified":"2025-05-27T00:18:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T18:48:44","slug":"draft-space-activities-bill-finalised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/draft-space-activities-bill-finalised\/","title":{"rendered":"Draft Space Activities Bill Finalised"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Reforming India\u2019s Space Sector Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India is finalising a new Space Activities Bill,\u00a0<strong>aimed at establishing a legal framework for private participation<\/strong>\u00a0in the space sector and<strong>\u00a0granting statutory authority to IN-SPACe\u00a0<\/strong>(Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The bill reflects\u00a0<strong>evolving needs<\/strong>\u00a0in the wake of\u00a0<strong>increasing private sector involvement<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>international obligations<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background and Need for the Bill<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Previous attempts and policy evolution:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First draft in 2017:<\/strong>\u00a0Circulated for public comments but not finalised or introduced in Parliament.<\/li>\n<li><strong>IN-SPACe:<\/strong>\u00a0Established in\u00a0<strong>2020\u00a0<\/strong>to promote private participation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indian Space Policy 2023:\u00a0<\/strong>Outlines roles and responsibilities of different entities in the Indian space sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Current developments:\u00a0<\/strong>The new draft bill, which is now ready for circulation among stakeholder ministries,\u00a0<strong>integrates past suggestions<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>addresses the growing complexity<\/strong>\u00a0of private space activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Purpose and Key Objectives of the Draft Bill<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Statutory empowerment of IN-SPACe:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Currently, IN-SPACe\u00a0<strong>operates without statutory authority<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The bill will provide\u00a0<strong>legal backing<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0<strong>authorisation and regulation<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0<strong>private space companies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regulatory necessity:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India, being party to international treaties (like the\u00a0<strong>Outer Space Treaty, 1967<\/strong>), is\u00a0<strong>accountable\u00a0<\/strong>for all space activities under its jurisdiction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proliferation of private players<\/strong>\u00a0necessitates legislation to regulate space activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Provisions and Changes in the Draft Bill<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Revised from 2017 version:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Earlier provisions have been\u00a0<strong>amended based on industry feedback.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>These include &#8211;\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3-year imprisonment and Rs 1 crore fine<\/strong>\u00a0for offences such as carrying out a space activity without a license, furnishing false information, or polluting the outer space.<\/li>\n<li>Any\u00a0<strong>intellectual property right<\/strong>\u00a0created in outer space would\u00a0<strong>belong to the government<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The bill now reflects a\u00a0<strong>more enabling, industry-friendly framework<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Insurance for space assets:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Currently<\/strong>, the\u00a0<strong>cost of insuring space assets<\/strong>\u00a0and space activities is\u00a0<strong>very high<\/strong>, making them\u00a0<strong>unaffordable\u00a0<\/strong>for upcoming start-ups.<\/li>\n<li>The bill aims to include provisions for\u00a0<strong>accessible and affordable insurance<\/strong>, critical for start-ups and new entrants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Economic Goals and Projections<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s space economy targets:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Current space economy:<\/strong>\u00a0$8.4 billion (2022).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Target for 2033:<\/strong>\u00a0$44 billion, with $11 billion from exports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Significance of the bill:\u00a0<\/strong>It is seen as a catalyst for growth and investment in the space sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Consultation and Approval Process<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>After the<strong>\u00a0internal consultation<\/strong>\u00a0with the stakeholder ministries, the draft bill will be sent for a\u00a0<strong>wider consultation<\/strong>\u00a0to different ministries and then shared with the\u00a0<strong>general public<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>The final draft<\/strong>\u00a0will go to the minister in-charge, which is the\u00a0<strong>Prime Minister<\/strong>\u00a0(PM) in this case.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Once it is approved, it will go to the cabinet and then the parliament<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>State-Level Initiatives<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Decentralised space manufacturing:\u00a0<\/strong>Aim is to set up 4-5 manufacturing hubs initially, with IN-SPACe\u2019s guidance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>State policies and specialisation:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Three states have released their own space policies &#8211;\u00a0<strong>Tamil Nadu<\/strong>\u00a0(focus on launch vehicles),\u00a0<strong>Gujarat\u00a0<\/strong>(focus on satellites and payload), and\u00a0<strong>Karnataka\u00a0<\/strong>(general hub due to the existing ecosystem in Bengaluru).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>IN-SPACe is also in talks with\u00a0<strong>Maharashtra\u00a0<\/strong>and possibly other states to set up such manufacturing hubs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The new draft Space Activities Bill represents\u00a0<strong>a crucial legislative advancement<\/strong>\u00a0towards\u00a0<strong>modernising India\u2019s space governance<\/strong>, unlocking private sector potential, and meeting global responsibilities.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It promises to make India\u00a0<strong>a major player in the global space economy<\/strong>\u00a0by fostering\u00a0<strong>innovation, investment, and regulatory clarity.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reforming India\u2019s Space Sector FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1<\/strong>. What is the primary objective of the new draft Space Activities Bill in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. The primary objective is to provide a comprehensive legal framework for regulating private sector participation in India&#8217;s space sector and to grant statutory powers to IN-SPACe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2<\/strong>. Why is a legal framework necessary for space activities in India despite the Indian Space Policy 2023?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. A legal framework is necessary to fulfill India\u2019s international treaty obligations and ensure accountability for space activities conducted within its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3<\/strong>. How does the draft bill address the concerns of the private space industry regarding insurance?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. The bill includes provisions to enable accessible and affordable insurance for high-value space systems, a key demand of private players.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4<\/strong>. What role will state governments play under the new space ecosystem proposed in the bill?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. State governments will establish space manufacturing hubs with specialisations, supported by incentives from the Centre through IN-SPACe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5<\/strong>. What are the economic targets associated with India\u2019s space sector as envisioned in the draft bill?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. The bill supports India\u2019s ambition to grow its space economy to $44 billion by 2033, including $11 billion in exports.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/space-bill-india-centre-govt-private-sector-boost-44-billion-10025633\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India is finalising a Space Activities Bill to enable private sector participation in space and grant statutory authority to IN-SPACe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":47115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,391,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-47123","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-reforming-indias-space-sector","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47123\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}