Page 1 of 1  Saurabh Mishra Assistant Editor saurabh.mishra@gisdevelopment.net Study of population dynamics has come a long way with the changing scenario in societies fuelled by rapid growth in economies and developments in information technologies. From how population changes over time due to births, deaths, migration and ageing, and the linked analysis of relationships between economic, social, cultural and biological processes influencing a population, it is now also about analyzing market trends and assessing consumer tendency of making transactions at ATMs or visiting markets and spending. Defining indicators geographical area-wise or making them map-based is the new addendum to the whole process. Things have now come spatially or visibly. It is the census data that is proving to be the mainstay of all such studies. The data available can be manipulated as per users' needs. But, despite the statistical production in India being quite comprehensive, the data remain untapped by geographers for a systematic mapping use. Also, of the two parts - enumeration and dissemination - that more or less make up the whole process of census, it is during enumeration that geo-referencing be adopted. Census of India In case of India, it is the census data that continues to be the largest single source of the data on socio-economic and demographic structure of the country. The census data contains exhaustive information as number of households, gender, workers (as percentage of population), and literacy levels but where it lacks is the micro-level spatial distribution of population. In India the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner (referred to as RGI) carries out population census, which is a decennial phenomenon with compilation and dissemination of census data being its important parts. It was the problem of omission - that made census to switch over to map-based enumeration. Later it came on to GIS. The office has now advanced to preparation of village levels maps. The department's digital data has many takers now. "Gujarat rural electrification department used our data before embarking upon the project of electrification….and there are many similar public as well as non-governmental organizations to whom we have provided digital data." informs Mr R P Singh, Advisor in the RGI office. "We are linking maps to as much social indicators (attribute data) as possible an also selling them" informs Mr Singh sitting with the team of GIS specialists in the Map Division of RGI. The department prepares its own map directory. Research Needs Thematics maps based on census has formed a major resource in sociologocal research. A good example may be the use of map data in the study conducted by Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), JN University. Mapping of population density (graduated colour), along with the slum population had revealed that highest slum population were also associated with the areas having medium to high population densities particularly in the wards surrounding the inner core of the city; whereas lowest slum population were noticed in the wards having the lowest population densities. A similar method of analysis has been adopted for the map on literacy and sex ratio. Election Commission (EC) of India EC has been using the census data . Despite the qualms that Rajesh Agarwal, Director, expresses about non-availability of the digital data of the country from RGI, EC has used paper maps, digitized them and have added GIS functionality to enable users to browse to various states' electoral rolls down to the constituency. With an objective of bringing in the culture of usage of maps, EC gave directions to state EC to include a map of the constituency in the voters' list. The census data is also being used in the process of delimitation of constituencies. Important to mention here is the department's own initiatives towards bringing in the culture of map usage in the enumeration process. (Fig 1)  Fig. 1: GIS functionality on EC’s Website After making available the voters’ list and nearest polling booth online during assembly elections in Gurgaon and Delhi in 2004, it was for the first time that in Ahmedabad that EC used satellite imageries acquired from SoI to carry out the enumeration process. Demographic data as business developer Not only the public organizations, Indian corporates too are tapping the power of demographics aided by GIS. ICICI Lombard's use of a GIS solution for risk management was the first project of its kind in the Indian insurance industry. As put by Anuj Gulati, Head Operations & Technology, ICICI Lombard, "The use of a GIS-based RMS was essentially to identify areas on a map with high population density, a large concentration of rental properties, or other demographic characteristics that affect whether to underwrite a property for fire or burglary insurance." GIS software combined with Government of India's census demographic data packages allows insurers to profile potential and existing customers and perform predictive modelling. SUMUL (Surat District co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd) dairy, Gujarat has operations spread across 180 kilometres. Nearly 1,000 litres of milk is collected every day by SUMUL from 1ooo village societies. Using GIS the dairy gets information on cattle feed, income being generated by milk collection centres, diseases spread and other demographic information of the region. Unlike ICICI, the data comes from the annual ‘mini-census’ carried out by the SUMUL’s team of enumerators. Demographic data and GIS Census databases applications in general, and GIS in particular, are remaining for the most part either, unknown, or fairly underused. There have been interesting examples of GIS-based approach (i.e. SIPIS by Guilmoto & Oliveau) but very few have been accomplished. The Census of India releases a wide range of data in various fields ranging from demography to economy that can be used to study the spatial and social changes attached to the metropolisation. The need is to exploit the data to its maximum - making it spatial (or more visible). GIS should be seen in its global context as an integration tool within and between institutions, and sustainability can only be achieved through greater co-operation and open exchange. The implementation requires coordination of prospective suppliers of data and users of the GIS throughout the organization or across different organizations. It is important to note that while setting up a statistical GIS, attention must be given on hardware and software compatibility, standardization of data formats, spatial referencing conventions, and in the selection and definitions of spatial data themes and indicators. It is about turning people's data to people's advantage - the GIS way, as a corollary to what Jack Dangermond of ESRI says "People want the geographic advantage".
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