|
| A
result of many parallel initiatives |
 |
Dr
P Nag
Director, NATMO,
Government of India |
The
clearance of NSDI by the Government of India
is definitely an achievement. However, this
development should not be seen in isolation.
There have been several activities and processes
going on in parallel that contributed considerably
to progress in right direction. The efforts
regarding modernization of spatial data,
map digitization, reforms at Survey of India,
National Map Policy and creation of the
NSDI should be looked in a holistic way.
When we initiated this process five years
before, there were doubts in many data producing
agencies about the intention itself. Many
took it as an effort to exercise control
on them. In due course of time, the initial
hesitation at least in government departments
is over and now we can look forward to a
major role to be played by all the stakeholders.
However, we still need to make efforts to
convince the non-government data producing
groups like industry and NGOs to actively
participate in this initiative.
Industry is having a greater role in producing
spatial data for the country. Efforts should
be made to evolve model for public-private
partnerships. Such partnerships should be
beneficial to government and industry both.
Needless to say that the digital data henceforth
produced by the National Atlas and Thematic
Mapping Organisation (NATMO) will meet the
NSDI data specification. |
|
| |
| Definitely
a positive step |
 |
Dr
Vandana Sharma
Senior Technical Director, National
Informatics Centre |
National Informatics Centre (NIC) and
NSDI have been complementary and supplementary
in the field of GIS although both started
on a different note. NIC focused on creation
of datasets, value addition to database
with GIS component and creating infrastructure
for dissemination of these databases.
The NSDI mainly deliberated on metadata,
standards, data exchange formats, OSM
etc from the very beginning.
We at NIC are convinced about the potential
and applicability of spatial data for
developmental purposes, hence we took
GIS as a millennium planning tool that
will change the decision making process
forever. Traditionally at NIC, we already
have a large number of relational datasets
of infrastructure and natural resources
with details up to village level. These
datasets along with GIS technology can
yield immediate results for developmental
planning and e-governance even at village
level.
Today, data is not a prime issue. However,
it is important to have an effective delivery
system of these data. We also need to
develop innovative, imaginative and customized
data products keeping users in our mind.
The clearance of NSDI is definitely a
positive step. However, now when NSDI
is a reality our focus should be to ensure
that it delivers too.
|
|
| |
| Need
a business model |
 |
K
M Jagadeesh
Reliance Digital World Limited |
Although the progress initially was slow
but it was necessary to be optimistic.
In addition, we had a conviction that
such a Spatial Data Infrastructure will
be vital for extensive use of GIS for
the benefit of people.
The role of private sector is to develop
a viable business model to reach masses.
This has to be supported by resolutions
of Government to take up such ventures.
Improvements in communication infrastructure
and economic growth scenario of the country
are favourable for deployment of applications
to reach masses.
Planning, engineering, operations &
maintenance of large infrastructure projects
to harness power of GIS for rapid and
effective implementation and productivity
enhancement
aimed at business benefits.
A few points that need attention are
1. NSDI should develop a business model
along with private sector and not in isolation.
The business model to be reviewed annually
to make it more friendly to private sector.
2. Private sector should also be involved
in development of NSDI and operational
utilisation of NSDI.
3. Government organisations should focus
on simpifying regulatory / policy issues.
(viz., TRAI for Telecom).
4. NSDI to work with NASSCOM to facilitate
in GIS integration with mainstream IT.
|
|
| |
| Private
sector has an active role |
 |
Rajesh
C Mathur
ESRI india |
I must compliment Surveyor General of
India and other officers of Government
of India who worked relentlessly with
missionary zeal in spite of several challenges.
Private sector also played a very active
and constructive role in conceptualizing
NSDI and building a road map. I appreciate
the gesture of the Government in involving
private sector in the NSDI Task Force
and various sub committees - I had the
opportunity to chair one of them.
Going forward, the NSDI Committee should
define a clear road map for the next 3-5
years with defined milestones, individual
responsibilities and goals. Private sector
should continue to play an active role
and must be involved in building the implementation
plan. Some of the specific areas where
private sector can contribute to NSDI
are:
• Creation of value added products
• Usage of spatial data in implementation
of projects for end users
• Creation for data portals and
platforms for service delivery
• Providing Web based geospatial
services to end users
• Distribution of spatial data in
the domestic market
• Development of applications to
enable deployment of GIS in various verticals
• Development of product plans based
on market requirements – present
and future.
• Building marketing and promotional
strategy for NSDI products and services
• Pricing and other commercial terms
In addition, NSDI can also contribute
in creating standards, formats for data
exchange etc. NSDI can also provide the
framework for dissemination of the data
created by the private sector.
The NSDI journey has just begun for our
country. As we progress, we will have
to overcome several challenges. Some of
these would be:
• Building a road map for the next
5 years for NSDI
• Development of product and services
plans
• Reaching a consensus among all
participants on the short and medium term
goals.
• Pricing and other commercial terms
for data and services
• Creating a business model for
public – private partnership
• Providing budgetary support to
participating agencies for data creation
|
|
| |
| Interoperability
is crucial |
 |
Dr
R P Singh
Deputy Registrar General (Map),
Office of Registrar General India |
Census department is very much prepared
to be a part of NSDI. Besides attribute
data, census have a large number of maps
up to village level. There are different
layers of these data and some of them
are already available on Internet. However,
one of our concerns have been interoperability.
The Survey of India toposheets and census
maps have different characteristics as
our objective has been to display attribute
data. The other issue is of standardization.
Everything needs to be standardized like
legends, names, etc. When we discuss such
issues we should also consider the needs
of departments other than Survey of India.
Many departments need map for village
level planning and where attribute data
play a very important role. I think we
need more intensive deliberations to address
the concerns of data producing agencies
other than Survey of India.
Nevertheless, the clearance of NSDI is
a major step forward as in one go
it will address many issues pertaining
to data accessibility and duplicacy.
|
|
| |
| We
have huge datasets that can be linked to
NSDI |
 |
Dr
S N Das
Chief Soil Survey Officer, All India
Soil and Landuse
Survey, Ministry of Agriculture |
All India Soil & Land Use Survey
(AISLUS), has a repository of spatial
data for watershed prioritasation for
macro-level planning on 1:50,000 scale
of 200 m ha. In addition, there is detailed
database on soil and land
characteristics on 1:4000/8000/ 15000
scale for 13.5 m ha and district wise
distribution of degraded lands on 1:50,000
scale of 65 districts.
AISLUS has completed 20 consultancy projects
on application of RS and GIS for development
of digital soil data and impact evaluation
of watershed development and watershed
prioritization.
We would have appreciated had Ministry
of Agriculture as a member to NSDC and
also AISLUS as a part of this NSDI initiative.
|
|
| Issues |
According
to me there are six important issues that
need to be addressed for the success of
NSDI today. The first, is the availability
and easy accessibility to spatial data –
unhindered but regulated, maybe, and requiring
sound and adaptive policies for spatial
data sharing. We need the
foundation of good, reliable and basic GIS
databases (Make data available and applications,
demand, market will follow through). This
leads to the second, good “GIS Process
Standards” – a standardisation
of the entire process of “spatial
technology” - images, mapping, GIS
database creation, Spatial outputs, Spatial
data Quality Assessment and Spatial Services
(If all GIS data available is as per common
and agreed standards, applications, demand
and market development will be easier).
The third is technical interoperability
- integration using the Services Oriented
Architecture (SOA) and based on Web standards
(Spatial data and Application Services will
be the order of the day for GIS in the future).
The fourth requirement would be spatial
modelling and applications which brings
new perspectives and visualization of spatial
information and new insights to societal
and economic processes of society - natural
resources management, land planning, engineering
and infrastructure, disaster management,
education, health services and business
(GIS Services will broaden and touch almost
all aspects of society and citizens). The
fifth important parameter is partnerships
and enterprise for GIS - replete with the
infrastructure, mission critical capabilities,
and robust architectures associated with
other enterprises. The “forced”
boundary between Spatial Technology and
conventional Information Technology will
disappear – and horizontals of a new
kind would emerge (the more inclusive GIS
will be with other technologies/enterprises
the more success for GIS). This leads to
the last of the important issue –
developing the GIS user communities by educating
and orienting levels of society to become
Spatial-savvy and benefit from the spatial
technologies (if every citizen learns and
benefits from GIS, it is he who will ultimately
drive GIS technology and its future growth). |
| The databases |
Core
to all this and the most critical element
for the success of NSDI – which I
have realized and reiterate is databases
– both spatial and otherwise are KEY
“engines” for NSDI to be developing
and protecting our society and our people
and generating commerce. A society that
has a good, reliable and detailed database
of its resources, assets, people and infrastructure
is able to better manage, develop and protect
itself and also generate successful business.
We need a national effort for the database
that provides a first-level snapshot of
the world – and this may be “stitched”
from many national perspectives; a national
database that provides indepth assessment
of national disparities and opportunities
and through to a city-level or property-level
database of land/property assets. Mainly
a GIS DATBASE ENTERPRISE – a national
GIS System of Systems is what will drive
NSDI. My urge would be - India, please get
the collective act together and put in all
resources and efforts to develop and make
available the best and systematic GIS databases
– it will be an investment for the
present and future generations!!! |
| Public-private
partnership |
Another
major amalgam for NSDI is Public-Private
partnerships – it would be just impossible
for a single entity (even government) to
fully establish the NSDI on its own. Partnerships
will have to be the core mechanism to make
NSDI successful. There could be self-defined
stake-boundaries – agencies providing
data assets; agencies developing applications;
agencies providing services; agencies maintaining
the systems and so on – but all of
them knit on a valuebased “royalty”
model that will make a successful enterprise
for each. In this individual successful
enterprise, NSDI will emerge as the most
succsessful enterprise of enterprise. |
| The dream |
Now
I dream - that to develop GIS applications
and value-add, provide development alternatives,
generate GIS business, protect and empower
our society and people we would be able
to search, locate and seek reliable and
accurate map and image data and spatial
information from a “merabharat search”
and find varying details of Indian map and
image data on NSDI servers and (at a “proverbial
click”) download them to desktops
by making an e-payment. Mera Bharat is certainly
Mahaan and I am sure that Mera Bharat’s
NSDI will also be Mahaan - SOON!!!
That is what I dreamt in February, 2001…
Is somebody pinching me to wake up? |
|
 |
Mukund
Rao
Chief Executive Officer Navayuga Spatial
Technologies Pvt Ltd Bangalore
mukundr@blr.vsnl.net.in |
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