The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up a three-member committee to investigate complaints regarding alleged out-of-syllabus questions in the Radio Telephony Restricted (RTR) examination held on May 20. The move has once again brought attention to long-standing concerns within India’s aviation sector over how pilots are assessed for radio communication skills.According to an official order issued by the DGCA on May 21, the committee—comprising three senior officials of the regulator—has been tasked with reviewing the complaints received from candidates and examining the conduct of the examination process. The panel has been instructed to submit its findings within a week.The RTR examination, officially known as the Radio Telephony Restricted (Aeronautical) certification, is a mandatory requirement for pilots in India. It evaluates a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively over radio systems and their understanding of standard aviation phraseology used between pilots and air traffic controllers.However, the examination has faced repeated criticism from sections of the pilot community over the years. Senior aviators and pilot associations have argued that the test structure and questioning pattern often do not reflect practical flying conditions and operational realities.Earlier, the examination was conducted by officials of the Department of Telecommunications’ Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing. Pilots had consistently raised concerns that many of these officials did not have aviation experience, leading to questions over the relevance and consistency of the evaluation process.Following sustained pressure from pilot bodies, the DGCA took over the responsibility of conducting the RTR examinations in 2024, with the aim of improving transparency and aligning the test more closely with aviation requirements.
Despite the administrative shift, concerns from within the industry have continued. Former Air India director (operations) Capt Manoj Hathi said that little has changed in substance.
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He described the situation as “old wine in a new bottle,” suggesting that the core issues in the examination system still persist.Capt Hathi also questioned the composition of the newly formed DGCA committee, pointing out that none of its members are pilots.
According to him, internationally such assessments are usually handled by flight instructors or domain experts who possess direct operational experience.He further noted that globally, most countries follow simplified communication standards aligned with ICAO Doc 4444 for pilot training and examination, ensuring practical relevance and uniformity in testing procedures.Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) had earlier submitted representations to the government in 2023, alleging inconsistencies in the RTR examination pattern.
The body claimed that examiners often used discretionary judgment while framing questions, sometimes including topics that were not directly relevant to core radio telephony operations.With the DGCA now initiating a formal review, the latest development is expected to reignite discussions on whether India’s pilot communication certification system needs a structural overhaul to better align with global aviation standards.
