GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Science and Technology
Source: TH
What is Geospatial intelligence?
It is the collection and integration of data from various technologies like satellites, sensors, and aerial images to create real-time maps and simulations. It aids in identifying and managing threats, supporting emergency response, environmental monitoring, logistics, and more.
Geospatial technology uses tools like GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS (Global Positioning System), and Remote Sensing for geographic mapping and analysis of Geospatial data.
Status of geospatial data and technology in India
- India has a robust ecosystem in geospatial, with the Survey of India (SoI), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Remote Sensing Application Centres (RSACs), and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in particular, and all ministries and departments, in general, using geospatial technology.
- In 2021, the geospatial market was dominated by defence and intelligence (14 %), urban development (13 %), and utilities (11 %) segments, cumulatively accounting for 38% of the total geospatial market.
Key applications of geospatial intelligence:
| Application | Description |
| Emergency Preparedness | Monitoring natural disasters such as Cyclones, and hurricanes to allocate resources efficiently, issue timely storm warnings, and order evacuations as needed. |
| Disaster Response | Assisting in post-disaster efforts by identifying damaged areas, assessing the extent of impact, locating access points for first responders, facilitating efficient search-and-rescue operations and the distribution of aid. |
| Environmental Monitoring | Tracking climate-related variables like temperature, precipitation, and ice to anticipate and prepare for environmental disturbances, including heatwaves, floods, and polar ice melt. |
| Military and Civilian Applications | Reporting on military movements, and troop deployments, and providing valuable spatial data for civilian applications such as global supply chain optimization and logistics management. |
| Transportation and Logistics | Utilizing GPS-generated spatial data to enhance transportation and logistics operations |
| Autonomous Vehicles | Supporting the development of autonomous vehicles by offering high-resolution imagery for road analysis, and traffic management. |
| Digital Twins | Creating virtual replicas of real-world systems, such as cities and buildings, which can be updated in real-time to simulate changes in various conditions, aiding decision-making across different sectors, including military and urban planning. |
Measures for the Development of Geospatial Data and Technology:
| Measures | Description |
| Guidelines for Geospatial Data, 2021 | Released by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2021. |
| Deregulated and liberalized the Geo-Spatial Sector in India, making it more competitive. | |
| Eliminated the requirement of permissions and scrutiny, even for security concerns for Indian Companies. | |
| Companies can now self-attest, conforming to government guidelines without continuous monitoring by a government agency. | |
| Geospatial Energy Map of India | Developed in collaboration with NITI Aayog and ISRO |
| Provides a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in the country. | |
| Aids in planning and investment decisions and supports disaster management using available energy assets. | |
| Union Budget 2022-23 | Government support for the use of Kisan drones for land assessment, digitization of land records, and spraying insecticides and nutrients. |
| National Geospatial Policy, 2022
|
The 13-year guideline promotes the country’s geospatial data industry and develops a national framework to use such data for improving citizen services, and more |
| Yuktahara portal | Serves as a repository of geotagged assets created under various National Rural Development Programs, including MGNREGA, Per Drop More Crop Programs, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. |
Limitations of using Geospatial technology:
- Hacking information – The primary reluctance to share stems from the concern that terrorists or criminals could use such information.
- Privacy issue – India doesn’t have a dedicated data protection policy in that context use of Geospatial data may cause privacy issues.
- Lack of data availability and sharing constraints – The unavailability of foundation data, especially at high resolution, is also a constraint. Further, the lack of clarity on data sharing and collaboration prevents co-creation and asset maximization.
Measures to be taken for improvement.
- Trained and dedicated team to use geospatial data
- Funding to enhance the application of geospatial technology
- Privacy needs to be taken into account while using Geospatial data.
Conclusion
Today the availability of using high-resolution satellite imagery creates a positive environment on the significance of this technology for monitoring integrated systems in different areas of national security purposes. Thus, geospatial technology reduces the analysis time and improves the capability and efficiency in decision-making for national security issues.
Insta Links
Geospatial data policy liberalized
Mains Link
Democratizing geospatial data will enable the rise of new technologies & platforms that will drive efficiencies in agriculture and allied sectors. Discuss (15M)
What is Geo-Spatial data? Comment upon the present Policy on Geospatial Data in the country while emphasizing the liberalization aspect (10M)
