Rutba Majeed, an engineer from Kashmir has made history. She is the woman in the region to qualify the DGCA Drone Instructor Examination. Rutba Majeed has also been selected under MSME Hackathon 5.0 for her idea. Her idea is for a cost drone-based system to detect faults in power infrastructure. She will get a Rs 15 lakh grant for development.
Rutba Majeed is an Electrical Engineering graduate. She was first introduced to drone technology during an internship at NIELIT. At first she was just exploring. Then she started learning about drone rules and regulations. She learned about their applications
Rutba Majeed noticed that many people in her region operate drones without knowing the safety guidelines. This can be risky. So she decided to take the field seriously. She pursued a study of drone technology. Rutba Majeed also wanted to use her engineering background to solve problems. She said she got deeply involved in drone technology because she wanted to solve problems using her engineering background.
Rutba Majeeds certification as a DGCA Drone Instructor is an achievement. She is the woman from the region to achieve this. She feels special but also responsible. Rutba Majeed hopes her achievement will encourage girls from Kashmir to step into this field. She wants to show that girls from Kashmir can also be part of this technology.
Rutba Majeeds innovative idea has also received recognition. Her project is called Low-Cost Drone Imaging for Detection of Power Infrastructure Faults. It was selected under MSME Hackathon 5.0. She will get Rs 15 lakh to develop her project further.
The project aims to detect faults in power transmission systems. These faults can be. Insulation damage. They can be difficult to identify through inspections. This is especially true in mountainous regions like Jammu and Kashmir.
Rutba Majeed explained that her idea involves using drones equipped with sensors. These drones will detect issues early. They will detect issues before they develop into failures. However the project is still in its development phase. The funding will be used to build and test a working prototype. Rutba Majeed wants to keep the project cost. She wants it to be used widely.
Rutba Majeeds motivation for this project comes from her background. It also comes from real-world challenges in the power sector. India faces electricity losses due to transmission faults. In Jammu and Kashmir the issue is worse. The difficult terrain makes manual inspections challenging.
Rutba Majeed believes the technology can have applications. It can be used for monitoring and agriculture. For example it can be used to detect pollution levels in Dal Lake. It can be used to assess crop health through imaging techniques.
However Rutba Majeed acknowledged that the journey has not been easy. Developing the project required learning and experimentation. There was a lot of trial and error. Working with sensors and data took time and learning.
The MSME grant has given Rutba Majeed confidence. She wants to move the idea. Rutba Majeed hopes to continue working in drone technology. She wants to expand its applications across sectors.
Rutba Majeeds journey from engineering student to certified drone instructor shows a shift in Kashmirs landscape. Young innovators are turning ideas into solutions.
The DGCA Drone Exam is a certification test. It is conducted by Indias Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The exam assesses knowledge of drone regulations and safety procedures. Passing the exam is necessary to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate. This certificate is required for flying drones, in permitted categories.
