GIS Based application for Rural Development - A Policy Warranted

The world is changing very fast. And the expectations of the customers are also changing exponentially. This pace of change are forcing to have phenomenal challenge to all those working in the GI industry. The boom in mobile and internet technologies continues to grow the importance of Geographic Information whilst customers demand better quality, consistency and accuracy of geographic data in the location based market. At the same time technological innovation is enabling us to collect, integrate, store, manage, manipulate, enhance and distribute this information more and more effectively in hand with a growing customer requirement for real time data update. So the challenge presented today in any field is part of a global phenomenon. In the context of our state, deployment of such a tool is even more important since it can help plan better irrigation schemes, predict the impact of proposed highways and railway lines, help in locating the right area for new industries or housing colonies, identify locations losing plantation at alarming rate and suggest possible counter measurements, etc. Governments are increasingly seeking greater effectiveness and efficiencies in the delivery of services to the citizen. This growing agenda to reform public services have provoked a shift to be more customer and output focused. This in turn has added another dimension to the requirement for change together with some changes in funding and the need to become more commercial. The initiative set by the Departments of Space and of Science and Technology with regard to a NSDI recognises the requirement for readily accessible digital spatial information and its importance in underpinning every aspect of socio-economic activity. Map Asia 2003 Policy Map Asia Conference 2003 GISdevelopment.net, All rights reserved. Introduction Geographic Information Technology has developed at a remarkable pace over the past two decades and will play a key role in development of nations in the 21 Century, thereupon many countries have already prepared their strategic development plans for application of GIS Technology with gigantic financing endeavors. Now time has come for all decision makers to discuss the appropriateness of GIS technology and its applications to rural development, forest management, urban development planning, land information systems and agricultural development. This will also provide a suitable solution for the use of GIS for educational infrastructure development with special emphasis on rural sector in India. Educationists, planners, researchers, decision makers, administrators, communication professionals and officials from different departments and some reputed NGOs should be invited to discuss the role of GIS Technology and should implement the same outcome immediately for ensuring sustainable development and socio-economic and educational uplifting of the country. Information Technology has emerged as an inevitable phenomenon influencing every walk of life of people in all sections of this society. With the ease of availability of enormous computing power and convenient access to large volume and variety of data and information, the structure and functions of all human organisations will undergo profound transformation in this century. Nations are engaged in exploiting this phenomenon for many of their socio-economic requirements. One area, which is engaging serious attention, relates to use of Information Technology in the governance systems, especially the tools and techniques for acquisition and management of data relating to Geographic Information System (GIS).