GIS@development August 2002: "The UGC initiative in introducing RS and GIS courses in the Earth Sciences Curriculum"

Inclusion of courses in RS and GIS as part of the curriculum in our colleges and universities has been an uphill task. The rigid administrative structure of the universities and their affiliated colleges, the lack of understanding about this technology and its relevance to earth, atmospheric, ocean, geographic and social sciences, within the decision makers and the acute shortage of funds and qualified staff were the chief reasons for this.

The University Grants Commission, as part of its curriculum review and updating exercise, had set up Curriculum Development Committees (CDC) for each subject. The CDC in Earth Sciences worked towards formulating a model syllabus, which can be ideally followed by various universities. The rather substantial component of Remote Sensing and GIS in the under graduate as well as the post graduate syllabus as recommended by the CDC of the UGC has finally vindicated the need of the hour. Given below is a summary of the relevant parts of the exhaustive UGC Model Curriculum in Earth Sciences published in December 2001.

Reccommendations of the CDC in EARTH SCIENCES:

Undergraduate Course in Geology (Earth Sciences)
Three year B.Sc course Elements of Remote Sensing and its applications has been recommended as a full paper with 80 contact hours of theory and 100 contact hours of practical. The theory lectures are to stress on the application of remote sensing techniques in planning of large engineering structures and urban development, soil mapping, forest and land cover mapping. Introduction to aerial photographs, satellite imageries and preparation of photogeological maps.

The practical is to stress on geological interpretation of remotely sensed data and photogeological study of aerial photographs.

Postgraduate Course
Two year M.Sc course. RS in Geology and Geomorphology has been recommended as a compulsory paper in the first year with, 50 contact hours and 67 contact hours of practicals. The theory lectures are to cover topics on the electromagnetic spectrum, aerial photographs and their geometry, photogrammetery, global and Indian space missions, different satellite exploration programs and their characteristics viz. Landsat, Meteosat, Seasat, SPOT and IRS. Basic image interpretation and digital processing techniques are also to be covered. As in the undergraduate syllabus , here to a large component has been devoted to the application of RS in geological and geomorphological studies viz. image characteristics and their relation with ground objects based on tone, texture and pattern, principles of terrain analysis, evaluation of ground water potential, rock type identification, interpretation of topographic features, treeain evaluation for strategic purpose and principles of GIS.

The practical is aimed at extracting quantitative data from aerial photographs, Digital image processing of MSS, TM, Radar data for geological and geomorphological mapping, generating FCC�s and study of spectral patterns.

In the second year of the M.Sc programme a special paper has been strongly recommended where taking up �Advanced RS in Geosciences� has been suggested as a paper. This paper should have 100 contact hours and 150 practical hours. The theory lectures are to exhaustively cover photogrammetry, digital image processing and GIS. The practicals are to cover the same aspects with projects and hands on training involved.

The model curriculum has been circulated among all the universities with options either to adopt it in toto or to adopt it after making necessary amendments. In the foreword, the Chairman of the UGC has also made it mandatory to the universities to update the curriculum by July 31, 2002, �It is a must. It has to be done timely, failing which, the UGC may be forced to take appropriate unpleasant action against the concerned university� he says.

A tremendous amount of time, effort, energy and money must has been spent on this effort to bring out this model curricula. Let us fervently hope that it does not fall on the horns of inertia, funds crunch and the overall apathy towards any education seen in our country.