Parliament Question: Usage of Geospatial Data

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 465 ANSWERED ON 03/12/2025 USAGE OF GEOSPATIAL DATA 465. SHRI TATKARE SUNIL DATTATREY: Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the status of implementation of the National Geospatial Mission and the National Geospatial Policy; (b) the manner in which geospatial data is being leveraged in projects like PM Gati Shakti across the country; (c) whether the Government has plans to expand the scale and scope of the National Geospatial Policy of 2022 towards projects such as Delhi's GSDL or Tamil Nadu's TN GIS and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Government has plans to utilize geo-tagging and other Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in policies such as the Public Distribution System (PDS), MGNREGA, schemes under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and other schemes that could benefit from such technology and if so, the details thereof; (e) whether the Government plans to make a large bulk of this data accessible to academics and student researchers engaged in various types of policy research and if so, the details thereof; and (f) the measures being taken to ensure that accurate and regularly updated data is being fed into the various geospatial portals? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH) (a) Various provisions of National Geospatial Policy, 2022 are under different stages of implementation. GDPDC has been constituted as the apex body for formulating and implementing appropriate guidelines, strategies and programs for promotion of activities related to Geospatial sector. An advisory body named as Geospatial Industrial Development Board (GIDB) has been constituted by DST as envisaged in NGP, 2022. Till date, 1105 CORS stations have been established across the country and integrated into the National Network. Under this, 14,677 users have been registered and about 19.4+ million hours of data have been consumed. Ortho-imagery (ORI) and Elevation (DEM) is implemented in collaboration with the industry through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in ongoing projects of national importance like NAKSHA, AMRUT 2.0, SVAMITVA, etc. Further, in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar General of India for the Harmonization of Administrative Boundary Database , version 1 data has been created and Data is freely available in SoI’s online maps portal. The organizational Page 1 of 2structure of SoI has been aligned with the changed Geospatial data regime, with focus on facilitating and nurturing a vibrant domestic Geospatial services industry. The Government has announced the National Geospatial Mission in Union Budget 2025-26 with an initial outlay of Rs. 100 Crores to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data for facilitating modernization of land records, urban planning and design of infrastructure projects. (b) In the current era of data-driven governance, geospatial technologies—GIS, remote sensing, GPS, drones, and spatial analytics—are central to planning, monitoring, and decision-making. Government initiatives, flagship missions, and state projects now integrate geospatial data for accuracy, transparency, speed, and efficiency. The foundational geospatial data is being made available through standard web-services, APIs and data-downloads which able Ministries/Departments/Organizations to harmonize their legacy data from their respective federated location. With the datasets available on the PM Gati Shakti, the projects like NAKSHA, AMRUT 2.0, SVAMITVA is helping in modernization of land records, urban planning, and design of infrastructure projects etc. (c) to (d): National Geospatial Policy provides for the development of a coherent national framework in the country and leverage it to move towards digital economy and improve services to citizens. Creation of High-resolution topographical survey & mapping and High accuracy Digital Elevation Model for entire country including Tamil Nadu and Delhi has been envisaged under the policy which will act as fundamental geospatial data sets for adding thematic layers by the different organisation/agencies of the country as per their specific requirements. Geospatial data and location-based services enhance the Public Distribution System (PDS) and MGNREGA by enabling real-time tracking, reducing leakages and optimizing resource delivery. It may help for better targeting, planning, and monitoring which will improve transparency and coordination across various schemes. It may increase efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen social accountability. (e) Yes, National Geospatial Policy envisages for easy availability of valuable Geospatial data collected utilizing public funds, to businesses and general public. Further, the policy envisages an enabling ecosystem for industry, academia and research with ease of doing business and pro-actively engaging them in various spheres of Geospatial domain for employment generation and contribution to the national economy. The bulk data of CORS network, established by SoI, is used by academia and student researchers. (f) National Spatial Data Infrastructure ensures registration of only such metadata which complies with the standards set by international bodies like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), particularly those related to metadata (ISO 19115) and data registration (ISO 19135). ***** Page 2 of 2