Lok Sabha Question No. 482 (STARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Geospatial Information
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil, Goddeti Madhavi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. *482

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2022

## GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION

- *482.    SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

## SHRIMATI GODDETI MADHAVI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ǒव£ान और Ĥौƭोिगकȧ मंğी

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  ensure  the  security related  to  sharing  of  geospatial  information  of  sensitive  and  prohibited areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  promote  Startups  and  Small  and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the geospatial mapping sector by providing handholding,  expertise,  technology  resources,  early  stage  funding  and incubation through its various entrepreneurship development programmes
- and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

ǒव£ान और Ĥौƭोिगकȧ तथा पृØवी ǒव£ान मंğालय क े राÏय मंğी ( èवतंğ Ĥभार) ( डॉ. ǔजतɅġ िसंह )

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  482  FOR  06.04.2022  REGARDING  GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION

- (a)  & (b) As per the 'Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and  Geospatial  Data  Services  including  Maps'  issued  by  Department  of Science & Technology (DST) on 15 th  February, 2021, nothing contained in these guidelines shall confer on any individual or an entity a right to physical access including through aerial/territorial water route to any establishment, installation or premises to which access is restricted by the Ministry/Department  concerned  as  the  owner  of  such  premises.  Further, there  shall  be  a  negative  list  of  sensitive  attributes  that  would  require regulation before anyone can acquire and/or use such attribute data. The negative list of attributes will include attributes that shall not be marked on any  Map  i.e.  no  personal  or  legal  entity  shall  identify  or  associate  any location on a Map with a prohibited attribute. The Guidelines also envisages that  Indian  Entities,  whether  in  Government  or  outside,  will  be  free  to acquire,  collect,  generate,  prepare,  disseminate,  store,  share,  publish, distribute, update, digitize and/or create Geospatial Data, including Maps, of any spatial accuracy within the territory of India including underwater within its  territorial  waters  by  using  any  Geospatial  Technology,  subject  to regulations on attributes in the negative lists. Terrestrial Mobile Mapping survey, Street View survey and surveying in Indian territorial waters shall be permitted only for Indian Entities irrespective of accuracy.
- (c)      The  guidelines  dated  15 th   February,  2021  also  envisages  that  all citizens,  companies,  and  organizations  including  Government  agencies, producing Geospatial Data and information shall be encouraged to collaborate  in  mutually  beneficial  manner  and  work  towards  open-linked Geospatial Data.  Government agencies will make all efforts to collaborate for acquiring Geospatial Data. Accordingly, further policy decisions are being deliberated upon to promote start-ups and Small-Medium Enterprises in the geospatial mapping sector.

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