Maps of India – a brief history
Maps have been a source of political controversy in India
dating back to the days of the British Empire. The legacy of development of
Maps of India goes back to the days of the British Empire which commissioned
the great trigonometric survey to map territories under their occupation. Maps provided a strategic advantage in wars,
especially at a time when other European powers were circling India for
occupation. The British government therefore created a series of laws and
regulations to restrict the production and dissemination (sharing) of maps. The
Survey General of India, originally a military position, was created for this
very reason. When India gained independence in 1947, it inherited much of the laws
pertaining to the production, reproduction and dissemination of maps. Since then, the Indian government has
maintained this position, largely citing concerns with security and
sovereignty.
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| An Example of a 1 in 1 million map of Perth, courtesy ICSM |
This policy had been a major impediment to the scientific/engineering
community. Detailed high quality mapping information is critical for Engineers,
environmentalists / scientists, and restriction on this affects research. For
example, the Open series maps currently produced by the Survey of India (SOI)
is limited to a scale of 1in 1million which is hardly useful for any research
or engineering propose. For example, in a map drawn to a scale of 1 in 1
million, 1 cm in the map will represent 10 km of actual land. This is too high
level for a researcher involved in mapping a river flow or modeling traffic
information. (See picture for an example
of map of this scale). The SOI does have
more detailed (up to 1: 25,000) but acquiring those maps is a complete
bureaucratic nightmare. In addition, if you happen to live in areas classified
as restricted zones (Andaman Islands for example) it will be next to impossible
to get any mapping information. The ministry of defense is extremely sensitive
to the release of more detailed maps of the restricted zones which is
understandable in the age of “paper maps”.
However in the digital age we need to seriously question the relevancy
of these restrictions.
The digital age
With satellite imaging technology emerging in the 1990s, the
art of map making moved to the sky. Satellite imagery along with the Global
position System (GPS) equipment changed the dynamics of topographic survey and mapping. Countries that have the capability to launch
satellites (including India) have the eyes in the sky that allows them to peer
into any part of the planet. The
American spy satellites, allegedly, can zoom in, and read number plates of
cars. Now the world is open from the
sky!
In India, ISRO became a pioneer in producing digital maps of
India. The laws that existed at that time in India pertaining to maps did not
address digital information so ISRO was able to get around it and produced
fantastic maps useful for scientific purpose. Then Google entered the fray and
became the leader in map making.
Digital maps
transformed our way of life, especially for scientists and engineers. Digital maps form a key component of navigation;
it is the lifeline of everything from Pizza delivery to mapping people affected
by flood or forest fire.
Today, detailed and up to date information of every corner
of the world is available at our finger tips. India’s digitized maps, that
include the so called “sensitive information” is already out in the internet.
The cat is out of the bag. Gone are the days of guarded secrecy of the
British Empire and strategic advantage of keeping maps a secret.
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| Google Map snapshot of IAF base in Carnicobar |
The laws governing map making and distribution are therefore
now outdated and redundant in the digital age.
For example, the Andaman and Nicobar islands is a part of the “restricted
territory”. You could be arrested if you carry a map of these areas out of
India. There are several military installations in those islands and you would
think it would make sense to protect the locations, right? Except that, you can
zoom into the Indian Air Force base in Car Nicobar Island in Google maps with
extreme precision. So why stop a person carrying a 1 in a million scale map in
which an entire city looks the size of a peanut, when someone can zoom in much
closer via Google?
What is wrong with the current Geospatial information Bill?
Before we begin, let me put down a small disclosure. I am an
engineer and I work with maps. I also deal with government regulations pertaining
to engineering/environment. The review presented here are my concerns from an
engineering point of view, and by no means a legal review.
Let us look at the key features of this proposed legislation
here:
Acquisition of Geospatial
Information of India: it reads “ no
person shall acquire geospatial imagery or data including value addition of any
part of India either through any space or aerial platforms such as satellite,
aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or terrestrial
vehicles, or any other means whatsoever” .
The definition of “Geospatial
information” is very broad in the
Bill and it seems to include Ariel photographs.
Furthermore, the Bill also extends to existing Geospatial
information. People possessing Geospatial information (maps, aerial photos,
etc.) are required to obtain permission from the proposed Security Vetting
Authority (SVA) within one year from date the law comes into effect. For example all Navigational equipments(GPS)
contain map. So does that mean everyone who has a navigational equipment (GPS
device) will need to apply for an approval with the SVA ?
Dissemination,
Publication or Distribution of the Geospatial Information of India- in a
nut shell, sharing of Geospatial information by any means, including the
internet is prohibited. Say, for example,
if you took a picture of the Kannagi statue in Chennai from an aircraft and
post it in your Facebook page, that would essentially contravene with the
proposed law. This can result in fines and/or imprisonment for a period up to
seven years. This has serious consequences for the academic community. Any
report that contains mapping or aerial imagery will require permission from SVA
(which can take up to three months). During the recent Chennai floods, some
good hearted volunteers produced excellent maps of Chennai showing the areas
that were under flood. Under the proposed law, you must first obtain permission
from SVA (which can take up to 3 months and the floods would have receded by
then!) before posting any Geospatial information!
Use of Geospatial
Information of India outside India- you are not allowed to take any
geospatial information outside India without prior permission from the Security
Vetting Authority.
My response is: why?
And how is the government going to monitor and control this?
Outside India, this information is already widely available
(my point about zooming into IAF airbase). In the old days, you can confiscate
maps in the airport. The digital mapping information comes in various file
formats which makes it nearly impossible for government officials to detect
this. Also any time you upload any information
to the internet or the cloud, the information has technically gone outside
India?
Wrong depiction of
map of India etc.-“No person shall
depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic
information of India including international boundaries through internet
platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form”. This
is the only part of the law that make sense.
With the exception of this, all above clauses have no
strategic value and should be discarded or rewritten. For example, how is the
government going to enforce violations in cases, say , a teenage kid posting
geospatial information (that could be an aerial photo) in Facebook?.
Likely, the government will neither know about it nor will start legal
proceedings. In reality, this law will be used for the convenience of the
political establishment.
Interestingly, Section 1.1 of this law seems to imply that
the law is only applicable in India and/or only applies to Indian
citizens. Technically a Pakistani citizen
publishing maps of India is not breaking any law as long as it is done outside
India. From a national security point of
view, this doesn’t make any sense.
Conclusion: with the exception of the law
pertaining to wrong depiction of maps of India, other clauses are either
unrealistic to enforce or create severe bureaucratic hurdles for small scale operators
like auto rickshaws and cab services. This affects every citizen in India who
relies on GPS and mapping data. Anyone who owns a GPS navigation equipment
should pay attention to this law. The law should be rewritten to provide more
clarity and minimize impact on academic research and small scale business
organizations.
I welcome any comments and corrections.
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