Conference Proceedings: Map India 1999

NSII – Policy Issues
The scenario around us is changing. With the liberalisation of the economy, free-trade, right-to-information and the recent IT Policy, there is a need to have a collective position on a liberal Spatial policy. We need to recognise that:

With the changing scenario in the country (and world over), developmental activities are no longer the prerogative of Government. NGOs and Private sector are also equal partners in development - specially Roads/Highways; Power projects; Industries; Telecom etc.
For any developmental activity Satellite data (for thematic maps), topographic and census data are primary elements. Out of these, the satellite data and maps are in digital spatial format and are essential elements for planning and developmental activities. With the advent and proliferation of GIS, the trend is to organise and utilise digital databases of satellite data, maps and census data in an integrated manner. These three datasets, when modeled and integrated, provide tremendous capabilities for providing decision-support information for developmental activities
India, through its many government and private agencies, has invested in a large infrastructure of:
- Computers - which are being used for preparing maps/RS data analysis/GIS and other applications
- GIS packages - almost all agencies now have GIS and talk of spatial databases
- GPS Receivers - a large number of private agencies are offering GPS services. GPS receivers have also been of low-cost and thus are available to a large number of users for location information
- Service Providers in GIS/GPS/RS - where a large number of private agencies have set up facilities for digitisation, GIS databases, GPS data collection, RS data analysis and application services
India, presently has 5.8 m PAN from IRS-1C/1D, and will also have a 2.5 m PAN in the next 2 years – providing about 1:4000/8000 images for thematic applications. Later, towards 2002 even better resolutions imaging – providing 1:2000/1000 images for theme applications would be available. These images would have high position accuracy and would call for a totally different approach to data analysis and GIS integration. The availability of digital map base is crucial for users to be able to use these data sets.
With the availability of high resolution satellite information from commercial satellites, which will be available from mid-1999 onwards, images at 1m resolution would be available commercially.
National Security is paramount and no action is valid which compromises national security concerns. However, a pragmatic look at the security issues, with the changing technology and a liberalised world, is called for and a more "soft" approach for information for development is essential.
With the above issues in mind, the Government has been addressing the issue of maps policy – not that the "ideal" is to be achieved and we need to constantly "focus" our needs and requirements and ensure a pragmatic policy is developed. The first beginnings towards liberalisation" of the map policy has been taken with the concept of "digitally stripped base maps" and permission to a few agencies to digitise the paper maps and share them for developmental purposes with associated NGOs/private sector. We have yet a long way to go.
I also feel that a good spatial information policy is not just the responsibility of MOD or SOI – but of all of us who are involved in using map information. We must be as concerned about security issues and address solutions for adhering to some norms. We also need to develop these norms.
Let us all contribute our best in developing the spatial information policy for a NSII and help the nation – both from development point of view without impinging on security. With the best people around here, we will find solutions.
In this Conference, let us come to a common understanding of the policy needs; identify issues that require clarifications/details; address how we need to get it to be implemented; identify gaps that need to be plugged and also issues that need to be pursued further with various agencies. I am happy that CSDMS is continuing its role of providing a forum for evolving a good policy and its implementation – after all we want that all data collected by government agencies, including space images, are put to best use for developmental purposes.

Conclusions
The Information age has set in. Old paradigms are giving way to new ones and is earmarking possibly the most significant era of change in human civilisation. It has refined the concept of information and the communication methods and thus applies to everyday aspects of life. As we move towards establishing the NSII, we find that it will impact the way we do things and calls for many policy initiatives. This not only applies to trade and commerce activities but also applies to issues of health, environment, education, natural resources management, social issues, developmental issues, government decision-making etc. The establishment of the NSII is an imperative for the future of the society, calling upon us to address associated issues of networks, communications, databases, spatial information systems, advanced applications