Drones are playing an expanding role in Tamil Nadu’s governance efforts, with the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Corporation—set up under the Higher Education Department—executing key projects in 2024–25.
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Drones are now helping some of the departments in the Tamil Nadu government for various purposes ranging from volumetric analysis of mines to surveillance of elephants in the Madukkarai Forest range.
This service is being done by a two-year-old Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Corporation, established under the Higher Education Department.
In 2024-25, the Corporation completed a few marquee projects. One was verifying the volumetric analysis of the mines that the Department of Mines leased. This ensured that the monetisation of the mining was done accurately and also ensured that the quantum of mining was within authorised limits, according to the Higher Education Department Policy Note 2025-26 presented in the Tamil Nadu Assembly by Govi Chezhiaan, Minister for Higher Education, on Thursday.
The Corporation also undertook a volumetric analysis of the Kodungaiyur dump yard bio-mining project. The data provided by the Corporation provides critical data on the progress of the bio-mining project, the policy note said.
Presently, the Corporation has been entrusted with establishing drone-based surveillance systems in the Madukkarai Forest Ranges to safeguard the wild elephants from being run over by trains, the policy note said.
The Corporation is also training over 15,000 students under the Naan Mudhalvan Scheme.
It also explores various possibilities of utilising drone-related technologies in collaboration with various government agencies to enhance the quality of governance, the policy note said.
Tamil Nadu will soon establish a university in the name of former chief minister M Karunanidhi at Kumbakonam, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the Assembly.
Published on April 24, 2025