Context: 

In an interview to a media house, the Surveyor-General of India has outlined that Survey of India (SoI) will remain the arbiter of maps that deal with State boundaries and national borders.

More on News:

• Survey of India will also maintain and provide reference stations that are vital to cartographers to prepare higher resolution maps.
• It will continue to maintain CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Sta­tions) that are necessary to create accurate digital maps.

                                                                   Image Source: The Hindu

About Survey of India (SoI):

• The Survey of India is a scientific department of the Government of India under the Department of Science & Technology.
• It serves as the country’s national survey and mapping organisation. 
• Established in 1767, it is the oldest scientific department of the government.
• Headquarters: Dehradun, Uttarakhand. 

• Function:

• • It provides expert advice to the government on survey-related matters, including Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Mapping, and Map Reproduction.
    • Geodesy: It is the scientific study of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth’s geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field.
    • Photogrammetry: It  is the science of taking measurements from photographs.

National Geospatial Policy 2022:

• Aim: To strengthen the location-centric industry to support the information economy. 
• Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC): It will serve as an apex body fcr formulating guidelines for promotion of the geospatial sector. 
• Digital Elevation Model (DEM): It plans to set up high resolution topographical survey and mapping, with a high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM) by 2030. 
• Mapping Infrastructure: By 2035, the policy sets the goals of usage of geospatial data including mapping of subsurface infrastructure in major cities and towns.

    Benefits:

• Helpful in achieving SDGs: Geospatial technology can help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
• Bridging the Digital Divide: It also aims to support innovation and creation in the field by bridging the geospatial data divide”. 
• Capacity development: It seeks to create long-term, sustainable geospatial information management through capacity development and education programmes.
• Democratisation of data:The policy is structured to contribute towards the democratisation of data and other geospatial data produced using public funds.
• Promoting Ease of doing business: Liberalisation in the geospatial field has the potential to support the government’s ease of doing business policy. 

News Source: The Hindu