Thiruvananthapuram:
At a time when drones emerge as a major security threat in the country, the Kerala police on Friday launched a first-of-its-kind Drone Forensic Lab and Research Centre here with an aim to address the rising concerns in this regard.
Besides addressing the threat aspects of the drones, the lab-cum-research center is also envisaged to look at the utility part of the unmanned aerial vehicles, police sources here said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the unique initiative at a function held in the SAP parade ground here, which was followed by the display and air show of drones.
Vijayan, which speaking at the function, said there is information that anti-national forces are using drones for various destructive activities including spying, smuggling, and terrorism.
He also mentioned the recent drone strike at the Jammu airport by the terrorists.
''It is posing serious challenges to various security agencies including police nowadays. The Kerala police is coming out with such a lab-cum-research center in this backdrop,'' he said.
Not just the finding of unauthorized drones, but the production of aerial vehicles according to the demands of the police force to help the day-to-day policing would also be conducted at the new facility, the Chief Minister added.
It had already become clear how drones could be used productively for maintaining law and order situations and crowd management during the COVID-19 induced lockdown, he said. Lavishing praise on the Kerala police, he said the state force is far ahead compared to their counterparts in many other states in using technology in the investigation and day-to-day policing.
Earlier, ADGP Manoj Abraham said in a video message that an anti-drone system would be developed at the new facility to handle the threat of unmanned aerial vehicles.
''The system will be capable of identifying all kinds of drones flying within a radius of five km,'' he said adding that it would be also capable of neutralizing it.
Abraham, also the nodal officer of the Cyber Dome, said the lab-cum-research center is going to be one of the innovation labs in the country and a first-of-its-kind in this regard in the country.
Meanehile, Vijayan said that the Kerala government is working towards reducing the socio-economic inequalities, which still prevail after 75 years of Indian independence, and also to ensure protection of the environment and improving education in the state,
In his Independence Day speech, the Chief Minister said his government was working to increase production of necessities and ensure the same was properly distributed among the needy to reduce socio-economic inequalities.
He further said that the government has taken steps to ensure social security and availability of basic necessities to the people of the state through various schemes like 'Aardram' mission, Life mission and general education projects.
Vijayan said education was most important for people's development and the state government has always encouraged it.
He said that technological developments have been used by the government to widen the reach of education in the state and steps have been taken to improve primary education and higher studies.
The various schemes and technological development also helped the state to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
He further said that akin to ensuring our national security, we should also protect our environment which is being dangerously affected by carbon emissions from industries and vehicles.
The Chief Minister said that presently reduction of carbon emissions and improving the socio-economic situation in the state were the issues being considered by the government.