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Positioning a pragmatic Map Policy that will address NSDI is critical and Government must enable this immediately. The policy must also allow for digitization of maps and placing digital topographical maps on computer networks (NSDI Intranets). The Policy will have to cover access by various groups – individuals, society, private agencies, government agencies and so on.

The Task Force also noted that Government, through Ministry of Defence, Department of Space, is already considering changes in the existing Map Policy, Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images – which will enable a wider availability of these data to a wide cross-section of users. While Government after taking care of national security considerations is considering these decisions/changes, the Task Force recommends that the process be considerably accelerated to enable the positioning of NSDI at the earliest.

The Task Force would submit its report to the Government of India in February 2000 and would open the report to a larger debate and public perusal. Subsequent to this, the following actions will have to be taken for the NSDI:

1. Finalization of the NSDI Strategy and Action Plan. The Task Force on NSDI could do this within 6 months by involving public, private and Government debate on the NSDI.
2. Government approval for NSDI – with commitments from NSDI agencies
3. Formulation of NSDI Bill and its enactment through Parliamentary process
4. Constitution of NSDI-NSDC, NSDI-EC and NSDI-NA
5. Definition of NSDI Standards – Content, Design, Network, Exchange etc
6. Design and Organization of NSDI Metadata
7. Development of NSDI Search and Access Protocols
8. Establishment of NSDI Network (bandwidth and architecture)
9. Evolution of NSDI Nodes in phased manner by NSDI agencies. This could start with rapid conversion of legacy data (already available) as per the NSDI.

Hopefully, the development of Applications Services on NSDI would emerge parallely – with no limitation to its possible use except the visualization and imagination of the user.

At a broad estimate, it is envisaged that the NSDI would take anywhere between 5-7 years for becoming operational. But in a phased manner, the intermediate milestones could be established to showcase results.

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