Sanjay Kumar
CEO
GIS Development
Necessity is the mother of invention, a phrase that has been very relevant to human life since time immemorial. Most of inventions find their origins somewhere in acute need and search for objectivity.
GIS Development – The Geospatial Communication Network, traces its origins to the quest of search for information about Geographical Information Systems and its usage in the field of environment by a group of people, who later on formed the Centre for Spatial Database Management and Solutions (CSDMS) in 1997 (now known as Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies). GIS Development, originally a publication of CSDMS, was primarily an outcome of the acute need of exploring information on GIS and when it was realised that nothing much is available, we saw an opportunity in itself to develop a channel of information dissemination and communication within GIS community and its users.
Fig.1
Soon came, the first issue of GIS@Development (eight black and white pages) newsletter focussing on information in the form of news items on GIS and remote sensing in and around India. Publication was an initiative through which we could create more awareness about this fascinating technology and encourage its usage in various walks of life. Ground realities were in total contrast to the ‘potential’ geographic information and tools had in store. GIS and Remote Sensing were commodities of lab and were seen as something to do with research community. There was not much of awareness about GIS in the premier academic institutions, leave apart the administrators and policy makers. It was a challenge to talk with senior officials about GIS as most of them did not have much interest, not because of lack of interest but more because of lack of awareness. And on top of all this, a very much restrictive nature of mapping policy was in place, which did not allow access to topographical information for most part of the country. Another important step towards developing a communication network was to organise the seminars, workshops, conferences and exhibitions. It was not that there were no professional societies and conferences in the field of GIS and remote sensing in India, but what GIS Development focussed on, was to promote the same amongst growing GI user community and that too in non-conventional sectors like, business, health, telecommunication and infrastructure development. First ever conference being organised by GIS Development was on ‘GIS for Business and Environmental Planning’ in September 1997 in partnership with Department of Business Economics, University of Delhi and was inaugurated by Mr. Saifuddin Soz, the then Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of India. It was very encouraging to see the active participation of GI User community in this seminar with about 200 delegates mainly from user agencies and industrial houses. The participation of 200 delegates was more significant, since the same week Indian Society of Geomatics had organised its Annual Convention in Dehradun. And off course, most of participants and us were not aware of the same (which fully justified our initiative to have an effective means of communication and integration of research community with end users and industry).
Fig.2
Within one year of its existence, GIS Development had established itself to serve as an important platform for GIS community to meet, learn, share, interact, network, promote and off course debate over the concerns of the community including championing for conducive and liberal mapping policy. Office Memorandum of July 1998 claiming to be a reformed mapping policy became a major detriment in itself for the industry as before this, there was no stipulated regulation restricting digital production of maps except for the copy right act. But 1998 Order brought a total ban on digitisation by people at large except the nine agencies, mainly the major map production organisations. GIS Development took it as a challenge to build public opinion to bring in reforms in mapping policy and unshackle the maps to be used by common man in his day-to-day life. A regular campaign known as ‘Unshackle Maps’ was carried out through GIS Development publication and Map India ’99. Even the theme of Map India ’99 was ‘Developing Spatial Information Policy’. I still have the fond memories of 26th August 1999 (a Public Holiday), when last day of Map India 99 witnessed a full house for a Panel Discussion on Mapping Policy, which began at 9 am and went until 1:30 pm without any break. In fact, discussions were so intense that chair of the Panel decided to skip the scheduled tea break and continued the discussions.
GIS Development recognised very soon that situation with regard to geographic information dissemination is no better in the other countries of Asia. It was very natural opportunity for GIS Development to commit itself to serve the other Asian countries and create more and more awareness about potential usage of Geographic Information in these countries.
Fig.3
GIS Development began its international journey as early as within first two years of its existence with GIS Forum South Asia being organised in Kathmandu in April 1999 in partnership with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and SAARC Secretariat. Second GIS Forum South Asia was planned in partnership with Arthur C Clarke Institute of Modern Technologies, Sri Lanka, but unfortunately due to political instability and social unrest in the SAARC region, we could not sustain the initiative, which had offered wonderful opportunities for regional cooperation at SAARC region. Recent years have seen that socio-political situation is improving very fast in the region and we are evaluating various options to be able to revive this conference in near future.
