Lok Sabha Question No. 4486 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Survey through Technology
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Chandrani Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4486

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/03/2020

## SURVEY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

## 4486.  MS. CHANDRANI MURMU:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY वान और ौयोगक मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  his  Ministry  conducts  or  supports  conducting  of  Satellite  survey  of  ground water, mining and forest, if so, the details thereof and the outcome of such survey;
- (b) whether any steps are being taken for conducting Mining Survey by GPS technology and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken to empower Science and Technology among the school/college/university students;
- (d) whether  there  is  any  proposal  for  establishment  of  a  planetarium  at  Keonjhar constituency to popularise Science and Technology among the students of this tribal area; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof.

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

वाय और परवार कयाण मंी , वान और ौयोगक मंी और पृवी वान मंी

## डॉ. हष वधन

- (a) No Sir. Ministry of Science and Technology do not conduct or support Satellite survey of ground water, mining and forest. However, Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organization  carried  out  ground  water  prospect  and  quality  mapping  for  the  country  on 1:50000  scale  on  behalf  of  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti.  These  maps  were  disseminated  to  State ground  water  departments  and  Public  Health  Engineering  Departments.  These  are  also available on ISRO's Bhuvan portal for visualization. ISRO carried out mapping of coal mines in  East  Jaintia  Hills  district  of  Meghalaya,  on  behalf  of  Meghalaya  State  Pollution  Control Board (MSPCB), for the year 2018. Methodology for forest cover mapping was developed by ISRO  during  early  eighties  and  was  transferred  to  the  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  for operational  execution  of  national  biennial  forest  cover  mapping.  Forest  cover  maps  were prepared by ISRO, for selected forest divisions of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, & Sikkim.
- (b) Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organization carried out pilot study for identifying mining deviation from lease boundary and also mining volume estimation, for two mines in Telangana and Karnataka, for Indian Bureau of Mines, using GPS/Satellite Based Augmentation System. Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) under Ministry of Mines is engaged in mineral exploration work in the country, in which survey work is one of

the activities and MECL is conducting such surveys through Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS).

(c) Department  of  Science  and  Technology  through  National  Council  for  Science  & Technology  Communication  (NCSTC)  has  launched  numerous  schemes,  programmes  and projects  across  the  country  for  creating  scientific  awareness  and  capacity  building,  which include-  National  Children  Science  Congress,  National  Teachers  Science  Congress  and STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine)  demonstrations in Science fairs &  melas, exhibitions, mobile science exhibitions, lecture-demonstrations, interactive media, visits to S&T establishments, hands-on- activities, and so on.

Department  of  Space,  Indian  Space  Research  Organization  has  initiated  nationwide student  outreach  programme  across  the  country  under  the  flagship  of  Vikram  Sarabhai Centenary Programme during the Centenary year of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai 2019-20. Events including exhibitions, interactive sessions,  lectures  and  audio/video  presentations  have  been planned at schools/colleges/universities. More than 80 locations have been covered so far and the activity is continuing. Six mobile space museums were conceived and have been moving to rural  area  schools  in  six  regions  of  the  country.  Wide  areas  were  covered  in  Odisha, Chhattisgarh,  Andhra Pradesh,  Telangana,  Kerala,  Karnataka,  Tamil  Nadu,  Maharashtra, Gujrat, UP, MP and North East region. These mobile units are covering other parts of the country continuously.

Ministry  of  Culture  through  National  Council  of  Science  Museums  (NCSM)  is primarily engaged in popularizing Science and Technology through a network of 25 science museums and science centres spread across the country. NCSM also organizes Mobile Science Exhibitions  (MSE)  to  augment  science  awareness  programmes  in  the  aspirational  districts viz.,  rural,  tribal  and  Schedule  Caste  dominated  areas,  North  Eastern  States  etc.  MSE  is  a Science Exhibition mounted on bus and is on various themes of science and technology which travel to schools especially in rural tribal areas to communicate and popularize S&T.  These buses also target the population which is unable to visit science centres.

- (d) No Sir.
- (e) Does not arise.

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