Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh asks Surveying authorities to come out of Silos and adopt integrated technology to produce more fruitful and cost-effective outcomes
New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has asked the Surveying authorities to adopt integrated technology and called upon the National Surveying and Mapping Agency (NMA) to reorient itself to contemporary India.
He asked the Surveying authorities to come out of Silos and work in close coordination with other related departments like ISRO, IMD, Ocean technology in Earth Sciences etc, in order to be able to produce more fruitful and cost-effective outcomes, which are in tune with the priorities of the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During a visit to the NMA’s National headquarters here today, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Ministerial Incharge of the NMA, which is under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that the Survey of India Agency has a legacy which dates back to 250 years. He recalled that it was established in the year 1767 with the mandate to explore the country’s domain and provide base maps for expeditious and integrated development.
However, the Minister observed that ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister in 2014, there has been a giant leap in India’s technological approach which also has a bearing on the manner in which the process of survey is conducted and therefore it is the responsibility of all of us to live up to the era of new technological innovations initiated and introduced in the last seven years.
The Minister issued instructions for holding a joint meeting of the officials of NMA with representatives from all the Science Ministries and Departments to pursue initiatives through a joint task force
Giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, for the first time this Government has introduced technology in every Indian household and extended its applications for the benefit of the sectoral sector, development projects as well as for the common citizens. With the integration of different scientific innovations and a huge jump in our technological advancement, he said, the responsibility today is to promote the use of geo-spatial knowledge and intelligence, not only in the conducting of surveys but also through partnerships and mechanisms which could involve all the stakeholders as well as all the sections of society.
Dr Jitendra Singh also reviewed the progress made after 15th February 2021 when the Modi government had taken a historic and path breaking decision of acquiring and producing Geo-spatial data and Geo-spatial services including maps. This, he said, was aimed at collecting, generating, preparing, disseminating, storing, publishing, updating and digitalizing the Goe-spatial data and maps within the territory of India, with greater ease for individuals, organisations, companies, government agencies and all the other concerned stakeholders.
The responsibility before all of us, said Dr Jitendra Singh, is that if under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has gone forward to liberalize and democratize the Geo-spatial data, how best can be the Survey conducting agencies put it into practical application and also evolve methods which are time saving, cost effective and convenient for the common citizen.
Reiterating that the Survey of India will have to reorient itself faster than possible, the Minister said, there are no other options than to this. Survey General, Naveen Tomar also made a power point presentation before the. Minister.