1. NAME OF NATION : INDIA

  2. Name of Respondent Supplying Information : Lt Gen A. K. Ahuja
    Title (if any) : Surveyor General of India
    Mailing Address : P.B. No.37, Hathibarkala Estate, Dehra Dun-248001 (India).
    E-mail Address : sgo@ndb.vsnl.net.in
    Telephone Number : 91-135-744268
    Fax Number : 91-135-744064

  3. Does your nation have an active or proposed initiative for developing a national spatial data infrastructure (or its equivalent)?

    YES

    **** POLICY ISSUES ****

  4. LEADERSHIP: Which agency or organization is coordinating or leading national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) development efforts in your nation? (If no single agency is coordinating, please provide a primary point of contact from whom we may learn more.)

    Agency/Organization Name : Survey of India
    Mailing Address : P.B. No.37,Hathibarkala Estate,Dehra Dun-248001 (India)
    E-mail Address :sgo@ndb.vsnl.net.in
    Telephone Number : 91-135-744268
    Fax Number : 91-135-744064
    Name of Agency Head or Primary : Lt Gen A.K. Ahuja,Contact Person Surveyor General of India

  5. AVAILABILITY: What are the primary types, categories or forms of spatial digital data being made available through your nation's NSDI?

    In Survey of India, framework data themes being developed are Geodetic Control data, Gravimetric, Geomagnetic and Astronomical data, Tidal data on selected tidal stations along Indian Coastal Line, Digital Cartographic Data bases on various scales.

    There are three digital mapping centres in Survey of India for creating digital data base. The data is being utilised by GOs/ NGOs for bringing out value added products by computer aided technology.

  6. MECHANICS OF ACCESS: Through what technical and organizational mechanisms are spatial data being made available through the NSDI?

    Spatial data is made available to GOs and NGOs on specific demand keeping in view the departmental 'Restriction' policy. Yearly sea-level information is being made available to PSMSL (UK) as an international commitment.

  7. LEGAL AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORKS FOR ACCESS: What are the legal and economic constraints under which citizens, businesses or others may gain access to data available through the NSDI?

    Data is made available to National users on payment keeping in view the `Restriction' policy being monitored by Ministry of Defence.

  8. DATA COLLECTION COORDINATION: What parties are involved in collecting data for the NSDI and how is data collection coordinated?

    Data generation is a continuous process through various wings of Survey of India, located all over the country in the form of Zones and Directorates.

  9. PRICING: If charges are assessed for spatial data made available through the NSDI, what is the basis or method for determining the price of various forms of spatial data?

    Pricing of maps, data and digital products are governed by certain guide lines in consultation and concurrence of controlling Ministry.

  10. COMMERCIAL INVOLVEMENT: Please describe how private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI.

    The ultimate aim is that responsibility of generating, maintaining and supplying data will be of Government organisation while Non-government groups will use the data as per their requirements for developmental processes of the Nation.

  11. PUBLIC DOMAIN DATA SETS: Please describe those digital spatial data sets for jurisdictions within your nation that are available to anyone without any licensing or intellectual property restrictions imposed on the data sets and the data sets are available at no cost or little cost. How may copies be acquired of these public domain data sets?

    No data is made available free of cost as per existing policy.

  12. PUBLIC GOODS ASPECTS OF NSDI: Please describe any additional services or goods provided by government in support of the NSDI for which individual users are not charged.

    Regular updated map catalogues showing the status of Topographical maps on different scales are published and circulated free of cost.

  13. PRIVACY: Please describe how the information privacy of individual citizens is protected relative to data that may be accessed through the NSDI.

    **** OPERATIONAL ISSUES ****

  14. AUTHORITY: Do the laws or formal orders of any legislative or executive branches of government explicitly recognize the need to establish or further develop the NSDI?

    YES

    If YES, please provide citations to those laws or orders.

    If YES, to whom has authority been granted and for what tasks?

    `Restriction' policies with regard to supply of data is taken care of by Ministry of Defence.

  15. FUNDING: Have funds been specifically budgeted and acquired for NSDI activities?

    YES

    If YES, please describe the purpose of the funds and the amounts.

    No specific budget is provided for the activity.

  16. INCLUSIVENESS: Please describe the types and extent of participants involve in building the NSDI and their roles.

    Responsibilities, based on themes have been assigned to subordinate offices within Survey of India.

  17. COMPONENTS: Please indicate whether the vision of an NSDI for your nation incorporates the following components or concepts.

    18. A. METADATA
    B. CLEARINGHOUSE
    C. DATA STANDARDS
    D. CORE DATA

  18. RESEARCH: Have funds been specifically budgeted and spent on research projects to advance NSDI concepts?

    YES

    If YES, please describe the types of projects that have been funded.

    Some of the projects are being funded under plan schemes of the Govt. Of India.

  19. LINKAGE TO GENERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS - Which international or national information and communication technology standards has the NSDI adopted?

    Efforts are on to establish Tidal data base for communication of data to National and International users through NICNET/E.Mail. It is also planned to establish a Geomatics Centre to disseminate wealth of geomatics data to various user organisations for various scales of economy.

  20. GLOBAL SPATIAL DATASETS: Does your NSDI provide access to spatial datasets with global coverage?

    NO

  21. GLOBAL OR REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES: Is your NSDI formally affiliated with or connected to any global or regional spatial data infrastructure initiatives?

    NO, only in informal ways.

  22. LONG TERM VISION OR STRATEGIC PLAN: Has a long term vision statement or stategic plan been developed for your country's NSDI?

    YES

    If YES, how may a copy be obtained?

    High level committees with members from various disciplines have been formed for this.

  23. GRAND CHALLEGES: Name one of the most pressing challenges for NSDI development in your nation.

    High level committees with members from various disciplines have been formed for this.

  24. FURTHER INFORMATION: If an NSDI WEB SITE exists where information about NSDI efforts in your nation may be found in the future, please provide the web site address.

    Not yet.

    If brochures or other written materials exist describing NSDI efforts in your nation, please provide an address for requesting copies of these materials.

    Not yet.

    If a user requirements analysis or cost-benefits analysis was undertaken to estimate the benefits of building a spatial data infrastructure for your country, please provide an address for requesting a copy.

    High level committees with members from various disciplines have been formed for this.