Air Regulations: National Legislation, Rules and CARs
The regulatory hierarchy
In India the legal chain runs from the Aircraft Act 1934 and the Aircraft Rules 1937, through the Airports Authority of India Act 1994, up to the Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) issued under Rule 133A of the Aircraft Rules. Candidates must be able to place a given requirement at the correct level: an Act needs Parliament, Rules are notified by the Central Government, and CARs are issued by the Director General as subordinate technical requirements. A common trap is asking which instrument empowers the DGCA to issue CARs - the answer is the Aircraft Rules, not the Act directly.
Key instruments to know
Know the Aircraft Rules 1937 provisions on registration, airworthiness, licensing of personnel and penalties; the Air Navigation Order series; and the CAR sections (Section 2 airworthiness, Section 3 licensing, Section 7 operations, Section 8 air navigation). Question writers love mixing CAR Section numbers with Rule numbers, so memorise a handful of anchors rather than trying to recall every number.
Traps and worked example
Typical traps: confusing DGCA (regulatory and licensing authority) with AAI (airport operator and ANS provider) and with the BCAS (security); assuming an ICAO Annex automatically overrides national law (it does not - it must be incorporated); and forgetting that notifications can amend rules without a new Act.
Rule of thumb: when asked "which document requires X", work down the hierarchy - Act → Rules → CAR → Advisory Circular. An advisory circular never creates a binding obligation.
Worked example: "Which instrument prescribes the medical fitness standards for a CPL holder?" The Aircraft Rules 1937 require the licence and its conditions; the detailed medical standards are in the relevant CAR issued under Rule 133A. The best answer is the CAR, because the question asks for the prescribing technical document.