Understanding the Indian Map Policy
Spatial information and its tryst with 'Policy' in India
India has a rich history of mapping and generating geographic information. The Indian geodetic control network is perhaps one of the best in the world. The geodetic data, collected through centuries of dedicated efforts including the Great Trignometrical (G.T.) Triangulation Network of India has resulted in a huge repository of spatial data for the country, lying with a 230 year old premier mapping agency of the country - Survey of India. Other than the detailed topographic data of the Survey of India, there are the Satellite Survey Control Network, the High Precision, Precision and Secondary Levelling Network, the Laplace Stations Network, the Gravity Stations Network, the Tidal Stations Network and the Geomagnetic Stations Network. Hence, in India, a wealth of information is contained. It is also true that these data have been used and get used to quite an extent.
The Organisations with a Mandate
There is large number of organisations that use geographic data on a regular basis for their work and also have the mandate to prepare relevant maps. Survey of India, Forest Survey
of India, Central Water and Power Commission, Directorate of Mining and Geology, Geological Survey of India, Defence, Soil Survey Department, Mineral Corporations, Indian Bureau of Mines, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Atomic Mineral Division, Indian Space Research Organisation, National Remote Sensing Agency, are some of such mandated organisations. Other than these, the University Departments of Geology, Agriculture, Geography, Sociology, Archaeology, Research Organisations dealing with Earth Science and related subjects, Planning Departments, Statistical Institutes, Environmental Organisations, are key users of such data. Thus, a huge number of organisations in India do require maps at some state.
But is that all? We perhaps are leaving aside a much larger proportion of the population, i.e., the common man. Common man here refers to those engaged in private sector and civil societies who do not belong to the government departments holding the key to such data. The question is, how did they get access to the data and what about the data they produced.
In real spirit, a huge amount of maps or related data of the country till date is restricted for the common man, or subject to multiple clearances. The history behind this can be traced back to the Colonial British Government in India who introduced the code of security of maps by a rule that surveyors of Survey of India should treat their work as top secret. It is said that General Walker, one of the then Surveyor General of British times, almost lost his job for permitting publication of details of exploration and mapping of Tibet, Central Asia, Nepal, Bhutan and other Northern Frontier areas in the Journals of Royal Geographic Society and Asiatic Society of Bengal. However, things are different now.
The Restriction Policy that existed
According to the policy of restriction of maps and toposheets that existed, all topographical and geographical maps of areas (of about 80 km) between the delineated line, shown on the "Index to Toposheets" published by the Survey of India, and the land border, and also of similar maps of Bhutan and Sikkim, and similar maps of the outlying islands viz, Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshdweep Island comprising Laccadiv, Minocoy and Amindivi, on scales 1:1 million and larger, are restricted and their sale, publication and distribution are governed by separate set of rules. This was laid down in the 1967 and further amended in the early 1968 by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Hence, in actuality, some 227 out of 385 toposheets remain restricted. In area terms, only about 43% of India is un-restricted. For the rest of the maps, application has to be made on a special obtainable from Survey of India and issue of such maps is subject to series of conditions mentioned in the form.
In 1971, a clearance from Ministry of Defence was made compulsory for the issue of restricted maps to private individuals, organisations and commercial firms. It was also a practice that persons receiving 'restricted' maps have to submit an annual certificate of safe custody on such maps by 31st December every year. It is true that restriction of such data has a justification that has been hard to deter over the years. However, over the years with rising development needs, the necessity of geographic data for these regions have also risen for common man, local development bodies and private firms. (refer box in page 24)
The Implications
Gradually the impediment to progress started getting felt at different levels. It is understandable that much of the geodetic data is of strategic importance. The precise horizontal and vertical co-ordinates of important sites can be used for targeting missiles. Gravity data is also strategic for precise navigation of missiles. But similar is the situation for every country in the developed world. And it is technology that has the answer of how to differentiate between the same data in a manner that one series becomes security sensitive and another becomes open for all. The amount of hindrance that this unavailability of data has caused, which otherwise should been a right of every citizen cannot be quantified. With the advent of ICT and Internet boom, availability of many of these restricted maps over Internet from sources outside the nation has become a common thing. Finally, after 58 years of Independence, the government has announced a revolutionary change.
The Map Policy of India: A New Era?
In a government Press Conference on 19th May 2005, it came out that the Union Cabinet of the Government of India has given its approval to the New National Map Policy brought out by the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has the potential to open a new door of opportunities for various sectors dealing with geospatial information in the country. Close to a month from then, it has now made the final approved Map Policy available online at the Department of Sceince and Technology, Government of India website for public access at -http://dst.gov.in/doc/NationalMapPolicy.doc (see Box in page 26 for the policy)
In essence, the new policy shifts the decision-making domain for maps of the country to Survey of India. It envisages two series of maps- the Defense Series Maps (DSMs) and the Open Series Maps (OSMs). "Defence Series Maps will be the topographical maps (on Everest/WGS-84 Datum and Polyconic/UTM Projection) on various scales (with heights, contours and full content without dilution of accuracy). These will mainly cater for defence and national security requirements. This series of maps (in analogue or digital forms) for the entire country will be classified, as appropriate, and the guidelines regarding their use will be formulated by the Ministry of Defence."
The guidelines on OSMs will be the responsibility of Survey of India/Department of Science and Technology. OSMs will have a different datum, projection, content and sheet numbers. These maps will be derived from National Digital Topographical Database (NDTB), which will be created by the Survey of India. "OSMs shall bear different map sheet numbers and will be in UTM Projection on WGS-84 datum. Each of these OSMs (in both hard copy and digital form) will become ‘Unrestricted’ after obtaining a one-time clearance of the Ministry of Defence.
vOpen Series Maps of scales larger than 1:1 million either in analogue or digital formats can be disseminated by SOI by sale or through an agreement to any agency for specific end use. The users can make value addition to these maps and can share the information under initiations to the Survey of India. The information of all such sharing will also require to be logged in the Map Transaction Registry."