Public Accounts Committee Tells DGCA to Hold a Complete Safety Audit of All Aircraft, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• PAC, headed by K.C. Venugopal, sought a complete DGCA audit of all aircraft in operation.
• Triggered by the fatal Air India crash, killing 241 of 242 passengers.
• Members raised concerns about the airworthiness certification process and safety review protocols.
• Arbitrary air ticket price surges were also discussed, especially during events like Maha Kumbh.
• DGCA to issue guidelines to regulate airline surge pricing.
• PAC raised concerns over discrepancies in tariff charges 
• Members expressed dissatisfaction with AERA’s tariff computation methodology.

Detailed Insights:

• Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is one of the three Financial Parliamentary Committees, the others being the Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.
• PAC was first introduced in 1921 after mention in the Government of India Act, 1919 (Montford Reforms) and is now constituted annually under Rule 308 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure.
• The Committee is advisory in nature and comprises 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha); Ministers are barred from membership.
• PAC's mandate is to ensure that public funds are spent within the scope of Parliament’s approval. It examines Appropriation Accounts, Finance Accounts, and Audit Reports of the CAG etc. 
• The call for a nationwide aviation safety audit reflects concerns over the robustness of aircraft certification and inspection processes in India.
• Discussions on ticket fare regulation indicate a push towards consumer protection in the aviation sector.
• Criticism of AERA's tariff mechanisms reflects the growing need for transparency in airport economics.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Airworthiness Certification: A regulatory process to ensure that aircraft meet safety and operational standards, supervised by DGCA in India.
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): The primary civil aviation regulator responsible for safety oversight and operational standards.
• Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA): A statutory authority that regulates aeronautical service tariffs at major airports.
• Parliamentary Committees: Subsidiary bodies of the Parliament for specialized oversight, drawing authority from Articles 105 and 118.