Centre for Spatial Database Management and Solutions (CSDMS) convened “The Asian GPS Conference” on 24-25 October 2002 at India International Centre, New Delhi. It was jointly organized by GIS Institute and GIS Development. This conference was held for the second time after 29-30 October 2001. It was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Information Technology of Government of India and GITA from USA. More than 150 academicians, research scholars, professionals from technical fields from all over Asia participated in the conference. Delegates came from Iran University of Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Info Tech Enterprises Ltd, SCCL, University of Agricultural Sciences Karnataka, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Steel Authority of India Ltd. Ranchi, GIS MotTech Software Pvt.Ltd. Mumbai Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism Mumbai, SOI Dehradun, Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and the Department of Science and Technology New Delhi. In addition, other people from related fields also participated in the conference.
Mr Bimal Sareen, Mr J K Banthia, Mr M P Pinto, Dr P Nag and Mr Ravi Gupta (L to R) in inaugural session
Before the beginning of the Conference, a two day training programme on GPS, its basics and applications was organised on 22 and 23 October 2002 at the GIS Institute, NOIDA as an integral part of the conference. It was attended by a large number of delegates.
The inaugural session on 24 October began with the Welcome Address delivered by Dr. M.P. Narayanan, President, CSDMS. He stated that in response to the tremendous success achieved in the previous year’s GPS conference and growing demand of the industry, there was a need to make this conference an annual feature. He spoke about CSDMS as a growing organisation with activities ranging from micro to macro dimensions and the recent research collaboration with Media lab Asia to transfer and share innovative technology for the ‘common man’. He further added that along with its various positive applications, one should not forget the adverse implications of usage of GPS like misuse by anti-socials and the possible restrictions to be imposed to prevent it. Shri Ravi Gupta, Director, CSDMS, followed with a comprehensive ‘introduction speech’ to the conference. He underscored the need to understand the role of GPS beyond a device or instrument unto that of a science, a technology or a concept. He posed a number of questions discussing the need for this conference, ways to expand GPS and the like. He emphasised the present and future challenges confronting GPS and its mass applicability. Issues relating to policies, ownership and decision-making related to GPS and its usage were raised.
The panelists (L to R) Mr Sanjeev Trehan, Prof P Misra, Dr M P Narayanan, Ratan Avasthi, Advait Aundhkar and Kartikeya Verma
A keynote address by Dr Prithvish Nag, Surveyor General of India followed. He stressed upon the evolution of GPS, GIS and highlighted its importance in mapping and database generation. Taking up the Indian scenario of mapping practices, he underlined the various advantages of the present high-end technologies available. He raised issues regarding data sharing, coordination, and diffusion of GPS in different application sectors.
Mr Bimal Sareen, the CEO, Media Lab Asia, generated a new thought process by bringing the dimension of ‘ empowerment of rural masses with the help of GPS technology’. To achieve this objective, he outlined the goal of Media Lab Asia, a network of research laboratories to address and promote innovative leading technologies for the underserved. He stressed upon the need to promote GPS-GIS based technologies / applications that are relevant, universal and cost effective. Attempts at rural empowerment through such tools, are effective measures against all discussions of negative applications of such techniques. He also commented Media Lab Asia’s rich association with CSDMS in the development of ‘GramChitra’, a landmark GIS-based software operating on PDAs and in future desktops.
In the presidential address Sri J K Banthia, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, traced the evolution and history of GPS to the cold war and pointed out that war was the mother of many significant inventions. However the applicability of such inventions during peacetime is what we really thrive upon. GIS and GPS can help 80% of global population, which are not privileged. He emphasised the need to integrate GIS-GPS with Census data generation and introduce ‘geo-coding aspects’. He stated that along with rural mapping, urban mapping is also a very important and critical aspect of future development of India with growing urbanisation of the country. He hoped to see an integration of GramChitra with Census data and census applications. He particularly wished to know the use of GPS technology in census applications.
The inaugural address by chief guest, Shri M.P. Pinto, Secretary, Department of Shipping, Government of India, started on a humorous note and moved onto some serious issues highlighting the need to tap the commercial potential of the GPS technology for a technology savvy country like India to play a dominenet role on the international scene. He pointed out that GPS technology had immense application in maritime development, an aspect that needed greater attention to be devoted in a conference of this type.
After the inaugural session, 9 different technical sessions followed over two days. These technical sessions had 31 papers, received from researchers from India and abroad (published as in the GPS Conference Proceedings). About 19 papers were presented in the 9 technical sessions on various aspects of GPS technology. These papers covered diverse areas like mapping, surveying and data collection, RS, agriculture, atmospheric sciences, crustal deformation studies, fleet management, data processing and other emerging trends. Each presentation was followed by discussion. The technical sessions were chaired by eminent personalities who steered the discussion towards key issues at the end of each session. Moreover, a ‘Technology Show’ was organised by Elcome Technologies Pvt.Ltd. and Bil Trading Pvt.Ltd. on the second day of the Conference.
At the end, Mr Ravi Gupta presented overview of all the papers. It which was followed by a Panel Discussion and Valedictory Session. The pannelists were Dr M P Narayanan (President, CSDMS), Prof.Prabhakar Mishra (Advisor, GIS Institute), Advait Aundhkar (Product Manager - GIS MoTech Software Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai), Kartikeya Verma (Technologist, Communication Group Tata Steel, Jamshedpur), Sanjeev Trehan and Ratan Avasthi (Leica Technologies).
Recommendations
The following recommendations emerged after the end of the technical sessions and the valedictory session.
- The need for awareness and knowledge dissemination of GPS technology was underscored and infrastructure development was one of the ways to speed up the process of awareness.
- Government departments should establish a GPS infrastructure. For example, First and Second order Geodetic base stations should be set up by SoI. The Naval Hydrographic Office, Army, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism and many other organisations should provide assistance in building up the basic GPS infrastructure.
- There should be a focal organisation, equipped to provide better information about technological improvements. CSDMS can play an important role in this field. This could be done either through Internet; or an advisory body should be set up to determine continuity of policy.
- Vendors should also come out with ideas about different business and commercial uses of GPS.
- Policies of the Government should be more proactive rather than imposing.
- Day to day GPS applications should be translated into activities/business.
- Government policies should encourage easy accessibility of the GPS to people at large.
- Since GPS is a very precise tool, restrictions imposed on it should be reduced and made more user-friendly.
- All Government and non-governmental agencies should come together to promote application-oriented use of GPS.
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