INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES Volume 2, No 3, 2012

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1 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES Volume 2, No 3, 2012 Copyright 2010 All rights reserved Integrated Publishing services Review article ISSN Significance of Geospatial technology and status of its education and training in India Tejpal 1, Manju Sharma 1, Jaglan.M.S 2 1-Research Scholars, 2- Associate Professor Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana tpjangid@gmail.com ABSTRACT In the era of information technology with rapid advancement in computing, decision making has become more informed and scientific and in this field Geospatial Technology has emerged strongly with diverse applications. It has been identified as one of the three most important emerging fields along with nanotechnology and biotechnology because of providing unbiased, reliable, repetitive and synoptic nature of data as well as tools for integration of information for analysis, which is very useful in the management and monitoring of natural resources. There is requirement of trained and skilled personnel for the maximum potential exploration of this technology and also need to introduce it in education system for its wider understanding. There is also a need of well thought of plans for broader acceptability and awareness regarding geospatial technology for development of human resource through training and education. This paper discusses the necessity of formal education in the field of Geospatial Technology in India with respect to existing programmes and facilities provided by various institutions in the country. Key words: Geospatial Technology, Training, Education, Institutes, India 1. Introduction Geospatial Technology (GST) encompasses Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing (RS), and emerging technologies that assist the user in the collection, analysis and interpretation of spatial data (U.S. Department of Labor, 2005). In this regard Remote Sensing is always viewed as a field that integrates with many other disciplines while GIS is an analytical tool for processing and presentation of spatial data. Integration of satellite based Remote Sensing with Photogrammetry and GIS, has enhanced its capabilities in the area of resource management and solving environmental and spatial problems very rapidly and efficiently in comparison to others (Kanniah and Hashim, 2000). The application of this technology is also expected to grow and become more diversified in coming years. Education performs a pivotal role in widespread adaptation of the technology because it is necessary that the technology is used to its maximum potential for a sustainable socio-economic development of the country. Education is considered as a medium that channels the knowledge and makes easily understandable the concepts and applications of the technology using formal systems of school, college or university. The fact is that revolution in Geospatial Technology will require adjustment across multiple domains of education and research. For judicious use of a variety of remote sensing data available from various Indian satellites there is a requirement of a large number of trained and skilled professional. All over the world, it has been experienced that non availability of qualified and trained personnel in Remote Sensing and allied fields has not only hampered proper exploitation of the available data but has also affected related research programmes in various application areas. Therefore, Submitted on January 2012 published on February

2 there is an urgent need for introduction of Geospatial Technology in school and university educational curricula so that future generation is given required training for application of this modern technology. Though a number of institutions and organizations are contributing their bit for providing training and education on Remote Sensing and GIS applications in India, but considering the large population and the large size of the country, there is still an urgent need to reinforce the awareness about such training and spread education to realize the full potential of the technology (Bhan, 1997). Geospatial Technology is a rapidly expanding field which can be applied to virtually any profession from public health to real estate. In real sense, it is a multidisciplinary field or a new integrated academic discipline (Konecny, 2002). After realizing the importance of this technology many universities and institutions have been teaching Remote Sensing and GIS as a separate course or as a part of techniques in the subjects at graduate and post-graduate level (Dutt et al., 1992). The present paper aims to highlight the following set of objectives: 1. To assess the status of Geo-spatial Technology in India. 2. To examine the adequacies of training and educational programmes offered by various training centres and educational institutions in India. 2. Methodology The present study is based on secondary source of information, which is derived from different sources including internet. Literature related to Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System published by various authors as well as departments or institutes such as Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), has been reviewed to understand the functioning, significance and applications of Geospatial Technology in India. Internet search engines have been used to compile information about the courses run on Geospatial Technology by various educational institutes and presented in the form of a table. 2.1 Remote Sensing and GIS Background in India Initially the technology of Remote Sensing was popular in western countries but due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, it got diffused soon in other countries of the world also. Though India is a developing country, yet it has made impressive stride in a variety of scientific and technological fields. Its quest for providing world level quality manpower continues to generate human resources in various fields ranging from arts to science and technology (Venugopal et al., 2001). In India the Remote Sensing has been practiced since early 1920s, when black and white aerial photographs were extensively used for survey and geological exploration. Later these aerial photographs were also used for the flood hazard assessment. But effectively the Remote Sensing and space technology in the country has been realized since 1960s. Application of this technology has travelled a long way since then. Further forward motion in the utilization of aerial photographs in India gathered momentum with the establishment of the Indian Photo Interpretation Institute (renamed as Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in 1983) under Survey of India in 1966 for imparting training in aerial Remote Sensing techniques. Amongst the developing countries, India is probably the only country that realised that outer space held a great potential for advancement of mankind (Bhan, 1997). With regards to Remote Sensing scene, by making use of out space the successful launching of Geostationary Launching Vehicle (GSLV) has taken a step forward for realizing the dream of 731

3 genuine space power and one of the world leaders in Geospatial Technology (Table 1). India has launched successful many Remote Sensing and communication satellites to its pride. The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite system has the world's largest constellation of Remote Sensing satellites in operation today which provides leadership and continuity in earth observations through an operational earth observation infrastructure. There are ten Remote Sensing satellites in operation CARTOSAT 1 & 2, CARTOSAT-2B, IRS-1C, IRS-1D, IRS- P3, Oceansat-1, Oceansat-2, Resourcesat-1 and Technology Experiment Satellite, (TES). World market also values them for supplying high resolution imageries for utilization in various fields (Venugopal, et al., 2001). On 28 th April, 2008 India launched ten satellites by one launching vehicle (PSLV) which is a landmark in world space history (Times of India, 2008). This is due to the efforts of ISRO that now India has made a great stride in space technology by launching 64 satellites (successful space mission) to fulfill the applications requirements in assorted fields. Table 1: Indian Space Mission Types of Satellites Before After 2010 Tota l Indian National Satellite (INSAT) INSAT-1A, INSAT-1B, INSAT-1C INSAT-1D, INSAT-2A, INSAT-2B, INSAT-2C, INSAT-2D, INSAT-2DT, INSAT-2E INSAT-3B, GST-1, INSAT-3C, Kalpana-1, INSAT- 3A, GSAT-2, INSAT-3E, EDUSAT, HAMSAT, INSAT- 4A, INSAT-4C, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR GSAT-4, GSAT-5P, GSAT-8, GSAT Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Bhaskara-I, RS-D1, Bhaskara- II, RS-D2, IRS-1A, SROSS-2 IRS-1B, IRS- 1E, IRS-P2, IRS-1C, IRS- P3, IRS-1D, IRS-P4/ Oceansat, TES IRS-P6/ Resourcesat-1, CARTOSAT-1, CARTOSAT-2, CARTOSAT-1A, IMS-1, RISAT-2, Oceansat-2 CARTOS AT-2B, RESOUR CESAT-2, Megha- Tropiques 25 Space Mission SROSS-1 SROSS-C, SROSS-C2 Chandrayaan Experiment al / Small Satellite Aryabhata, APPLE, RTP, RS-1 -- SRE-1, ANUSAT STUDSA T, YOUTHS AT 8 Total Source: Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organization, India. In India the trend in Geospatial Technology with reference to applications has received a tremendous boost over the last fifty years. The importance of Remote Sensing applications for the socio-economic development of nations has been recognized since the era of aerial photography in the early part of 20 th century. 732

4 Aerial Photography Satellite Remote Sensing & Image Interpretation Satellite Remote Sensing & Digital Image Processing Satellite Remote Sensing & Geographic Information System (GIS) Satellite Remote Sensing, GIS & Global Positioning System Satellite Remote Sensing GIS, GPS, Web Communication and Virtual World Beyond Figure 1: Trends in Geospatial Technology in India The late 70 s and early 80 s was the period of emergence of Remote Sensing applications as a powerful tool for natural resources survey and management. Journey of Geospatial Technology has come to qualify for international stature by reaching from topographical mapping and aerial photograph interpretation to Remote Sensing and Geographical science upto virtual world (Figure 1). 3. Geospatial Technology: Growth and Opportunity India s 'Vision 2020' envisages the nation growing into an information society and knowledge economy built on the structure of information and communication technology (ICT). ICT including Geospatial Technologies is being integrated into planning and management of natural resources, utilities, infrastructure and urban development and transport sectors. Geospatial Technology is being assimilated into planning and management to monitor, evaluate and apply spatial planning and decision support systems (SPDSS) (Sonnen, 2010). The Indian geospatial industry's current annual productive capacity is about Rs crores. The industry is expected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate of 8.1 percent to a productive capacity of Rs crores by 2014 (Figure 2a). The Government of India has budgeted wide range of initiatives that have a significant geospatial component. As shown in table 2, in the 11 th Five Year Plan, a large number of sectors have emphasized on the usage of geospatial data in their current functioning and launched various new schemes which mandate the use of Geospatial Technology. Table 2: Budgetary Allocation in 11 th Plan for Geospatial Projects ( ) Sectors Amount (Rupees in Crores) Water Resources Environment and Forest Resources Land Resources Agriculture Irrigation

5 Urban Development 9.47 Transport Space Applications Grand Total Source: Government of India, Planning Commission, Source: International Data Corporation (IDC), Figure 2: Estimated Revenue Capacity and Growth Rate Forecast in Geospatial Industry In addition to the schemes highlighted in Table 2, there are various other fields such as schemes for construction and maintenance of roads, railways and waterways, civil aviation, public utility services, education, health, command area development, flood management programme, flood control, urban renewal, urban water supply, rural water supply, Integrated Watershed Management Programme etc. which will essentially use geospatial tools and technologies as an aid. Today, it is well acknowledged that the Indian geospatial industry is witnessing a significant growth rate higher than worldwide average or that of any other country. The percentage growth for the Indian geospatial industry vis-a-vis worldwide growth rate has been highlighted in Figure 2b, while Figure 2a exposes the projected revenue capacity for the Indian geospatial industry. Now India's international geospatial industry is mature, efficient and well-organized. Its internal geospatial situation appears in sharp contrast - at crossroads, emerging from a 'closed' environment to a gradually 'open' environment. Like India's GDP, the growth of India's geospatial market is likely to outpace growth rate for geospatial markets in the rest of the world. As India's economic development unfolds, geospatial capabilities will be its integral part and will grow at vigorous rates. Indian vendors and governments could consider the following actions to build needed capacity and capture the emerging markets' full potential i.e. gain from the experience of others (European Union), planning for data integration and reuse and training new geospatial professionals (Sonnen, 2010). It is quite clear that future of Geospatial Technology industry depends largely upon availability of trained professional and experts. But it is a million dollar question for the country to produce enough Remote Sensing and GIS experts and professionals from different specialization to overcome this increasing demand. 3.1 Education and Training of Geospatial Technology Training and education in Geospatial Technology have assumed a great significance in recent years because of its emergence as a key technology to generate information for the 734

6 development management and monitoring of the natural resources. The way things are shaping now, it is quite certain that geospatial industry would need to consider ways/means to improve the educational system for geospatial workers at skilled and semi-skilled levels. There are various countries in the world which are offering a number of courses and training programmes in Remote Sensing and GIS and about 150,000 trainees or students enroll per year in such global programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level (Phoenix, 2004). The Indian Geospatial industry, however, could likely be hampered by lack of skilled manpower and inadequate training or education for geospatial technologies. This situation will create the dearth of skilled manpower and it will drive up labor costs unnecessarily. As we see the history of Remote Sensing and GIS education in India, till there were few selected universities which were offering Remote Sensing education at postgraduate level as a part of curriculum. But at present a number of universities and institutions are providing separate degree courses (M. Tech., M.Sc. etc.), post graduate diploma and other so many short term certificate courses related to basics of Remote Sensing and GIS as well as their applications in the field of marine science, agriculture, forestry, soil, water resources, natural hazards, resource management etc. Geography has also emerged as an essential discipline in this regard because the combination of technological skills and understanding of geographical concepts enhance the competence of geospatial personnel s (Gewin, 2004). In this regard, the joint efforts also have been made by Department of Space and Department of Education to introduce Remote Sensing education at school and college levels (Gupta et al., 1994). Now many Remote Sensing research centers are being established at national, regional and state level sponsored by government or non-government organizations to fulfill the growing need of trained man power for best use of the space technology. Public-private partnership is also making its remarkable presence in this regard. In India, there are little efforts that have been made for providing information about various centers which are sponsored by central or state government or as an autonomous body which offer a multidisciplinary range of courses from aerial photographs interpretation to data handling, photogrammetry, digital image processing and various other aspects. There are 111 institutes (74 governments and 37 private) which are offering degree, diploma and certificate courses of various durations in Geospatial Technology. There are 202 courses run all over the country out of which 119 courses are organised by government institutes, colleges and universities and 83 courses by private institutes. Furthermore, in government sector, maximum 83 courses are offered by universities and 34 courses by government institutes. Table 3: Number of Institutes Conducting Training/Education in RS and GIS in India Type of Course Type of Institute Government No. of Institute s M. Tech M. Sc B. Sc / B. Tech Diplom a Certifica te Total No. of Courses Institutes Colleges Universities Total Institutes Colleges Universities Total Grand Total Private 735

7 While in private field, only 15 universities or colleges are organizing such courses, while 53 courses are run by private institutes. It is also evident from the table 3 that government universities are mostly conducting degree and certificate courses whereas, private institutes are mostly organising diploma courses. Certainly the present educational infrastructure for the education and training of Geospatial Technology is grossly inadequate in India. Even at world level when a notice is given towards expanding opportunities for graduates, we find that the actual enrollment of students in geomatics majors is diminishing due to lack of awareness and adequate teaching facilities (Mills et al., 2004 and McDougall, et. al., 2006). There is an urgent need of further growth of training institutes and diffusion of education related to this technology at school and college level. 4. Conclusion It is evident from the preceding discussion that Geospatial Technology including Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System and other related techniques, have emerged as a powerful and imperative system in all disciplines of study along with research and planning in a short span of time. It covers satellite communication and satellite meteorology as well as satellite Remote Sensing. There is a great need to introduce the Geospatial Technology in education system at various levels in a designed way to provide wider understanding and acceptance of this technology. The main aim of National Remote Sensing Agency and other technological institutions is also to provide cost-effective education to prepare trained professionals and skilled Remote Sensing and GIS specialists to overcome the problem of increasing demand in this field and utmost utilization of resources by using this technology. There is great significance of training and education in Geospatial Technology to generate information for development, management, monitoring of natural resources and to make aware next generation about the modern technology. Though the increasing accessibility of Remote Sensing data and software has made it easier for people to learn about Remote Sensing yet the training in Geospatial Technologies has been lacking in educated faculty as well as students in most cases. In recent years a number of educational institutes, both in government and private sector have came forward to organize degree courses, diploma and certificate courses in Geospatial Technology. It is an encouraging trend but the training and educational facilities of this technology are still inadequate to meet the challenges of its growing demand and utility. There is an urgent need of diffusion of this technology to school and college level. 5. References 1. Bhan, S. K., (1997), Training and Education in Remote Sensing, Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 25(1), pp Dutt, C.B.S., Ganesha R. K., and Gupta, A. K., (1992), Remote Sensing Training and Educational Opportunities in India in: Natural Resource Management- A New Perspective, National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS), Bangalore. 3. Department of Space (DOS), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Hyderabad, India, Accessed November 11,

8 4. Gupta, A. K., Jayaraman, V., and Chandersekhar, M. G., (1994), Strategies for the Introduction of Remote Sensing in Educational Curriculum in India, Paper Presented in Fifteenth Asian conference of Remote Sensing, Asian Association of Remote Sensing, November, 17-19, Bangalore, India. 5. Gewin, V., (2004), Mapping Opportunities, Nature, 427 (69720), pp Government of India, (2007), Planning Commission, 11 th Five Year Plan Report, New Delhi. 7. International Data Corporation (IDC), (2010), One Exeter Plaza, 15 th Floor, Boston. Accessed December 27, Kanniah, K. D. and Hashim, M., (2000), A Systematic Approach in Remote Sensing Education and Training in Malaysia (with Special reference to Universiti Teknology Malaysia, International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Amsterdam. 33 (B6), pp Konecny, G., (2002), Recent Global Changes in Geomatics Education, Proceedings of ISPRS Commission VI Symposium, Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil. 10. McDougall, K., Williamson, I., Bellman, C., and Rizos, C., (2006), Challenges Facing Spatial Information and Geomatics in Higher Education Sector. 5 th Trans Tasman Survey Conference & 2 nd Queensland Spatial Industry Conference, September, 18-26, Cairns, Australia. 11. Mills, J. P., Parker, D., and Edwards, S., (2004), Geomatics org.uk: A UK Response to a Global Awareness Problem, Proceedings of 20 th ISPRS Congress Commission VI, July, 12-23, Istanbul, Turkey. 12. Phoenix, M., (2004), The View from ESRI-Global GIS Education, GIM International, pp Sonnen, D., (2010), India on a Roll, Geospatial World, 1(2), pp Times of India, (2008), India Sets World Record, Launches 10 Satellites at One Go, April United State Department of Labor, (2005), 200 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, DC. 16. Venugopal, K., Sethil, R., and Yogendran, S., (2001), Geomatics Education in India- A View Point. Paper Presented at the 22 nd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, November 5-9, Singapore. 737