DGCA Can Permit Any 12th Pass to Become a Commercial Pilot

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is considering a change that would allow students from all educational backgrounds to fulfill their dreams of becoming commercial pilots.

Students who didn’t study Mathematics and Physics in Class 12 and want to become commercial pilots can fulfil the DGCA requirements by taking these subjects privately through the National Institute of Open Schooling. Now, DGCA is planning to change the NIOS exam requirements.

Since the mid-1990s, only science students, with Mathematics and Physics, have been eligible to become commercial pilots in India. This signifies a tightening of requirements as opposed to the earlier standards, as before the 1990s, only metric or equivalent was needed to become a commercial pilot.

The recommendation to disregard the mathematics and Physics requirement will be submitted to the Aviation Ministry for approval. If sanctioned, students from all academic streams could train to become commercial pilots in India if they are medically fit, as per the guidelines laid down by the DGCA, which will remain unchanged.

Veteran pilot Captain Shakti Lumba, who retired as IndiGo (6E) VP-flight operations and previously headed Alliance Air (9I), believes that the restriction on Mathematics and Physics should be lifted. He also states that no country other than India needs Mathematics and physics at the Class 12 level as eligibility criteria for CPL training.

Currently, arts and commerce students wanting to become commercial pilots should take physics and mathematics examinations through open schooling to qualify for commercial pilot training.

Flying school operators have asked about the logic behind existing regulations, noting a substantial inconsistency: Wealthy people seeking Private Pilot Licenses (PPL) face no physics and mathematics requirements. Simultaneously, commercial pilot candidates are mandated to meet this educational criterion.

The possible change is part of the aviation ministry's broader efforts to address the country's growing airline industry's staffing needs.

The DGCA is also planning to develop a ranking system for Indian flying schools on the basis of safety records and training completion times, with an aim to help future pilots make informed choices.

This initiative responds to concerns that have driven many students in the country to follow pilot training abroad. Aviation officials specify that these and other reforms will be executed soon to reinforce the domestic pilot training ecosystem.