Speaking about the liberalised geospatial policy of India and its impact on strengthening the geospatial ecosystem, Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said India needs to open the sector to all stakeholders, reach benefits to urban as well as rural areas, and make geospatial information accessible to all.
"We are empowering our rural population through the "SVAMITA" scheme, through which a digital certificate of landholding is being given to rural landowners. As our Prime Minister says, our motto is 'Sabaka Saath Sabka Vikas' i.e., 'No one should be left behind'. The core philosophy of the United Nations is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for which India too is committed," Sharma said while inaugurating the curtain raiser event organized on the margins of the 11th Session of the United Nation Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) to be held end of August.
The Global Geospatial Information Community was sensitized about the second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) to be organized by India in October next year, and their inputs were taken for designing the content of the event at the curtain-raiser held on Monday, a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Tuesday.
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The UN-GGIM organises the UNWGIC every four years with the objectives of enhancing international collaboration among the member states and relevant stakeholders in geospatial information management and capacities. The first UNWGIC was organised by China in October 2018.
The UNGGIM has entrusted the responsibility of organising the second UNWGIC to India during October 2022. India will organise the event as a part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' (Celebration of 75 years of Indian Independence), the release said.
Stefan Schweinfest, Director, UN Statistics Division, endorsed the core theme of Second UNWGIC 'Geo-enabling the Global Village'. Co-Chair of UN-GGIM Rosamond Carter Bing expressed her agreement saying that the theme will help in focusing on the empowering role of Geospatial information to common citizens.
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While inviting the global geospatial community to the 2nd UNWGIC, Surveyor General of India Naveen Tomar suggested four sessions for the same viz. Geodesy, High-resolution mapping for land administration, Advances in Surveying and Mapping.
Eminent panelists from Latin America, Arab states, Australia, United States of America, The Netherlands, and Singapore while suggesting possible sessions for the 2nd UNWGIC, emphasized on discussing strategy for implementing Integrated Geoinformation Framework (IGIF) of UN-GGIM and bringing out the societal value of geospatial information, especially for the disadvantaged sections and youth, the release added.
