 "If a student today decides to dump
geography, it is because of his teachers. It is their job to make the subject more
interesting and likable," says Dr Prithvish Nag, Surveyor General of India"We map every inch of the
country"
GT: What are the activities of
the Survey of India?
A: Right now we are digitizing all the maps we have, updating data through GIS, GPS and
remote sensing, introducing Airborne Laser Terrain Mappers for more accurate mapping and
expanding the existing infrastructure for a national spatial databank.
GT: Does all this have any
relevance for sustainable development?
A: Sustainable development requires an updated information database. That's what GIS and
GPS technologies are providing. The major subject areas it is very useful
in are geology, petroleum, forestry, water and land resources.
GT: What are you doing to
introduce GIS in schools?
A: The Survey Of India has initiated
"mapping the neighborhood" with school students to introduce the concept of
spatial information and mapping. The students learn how to prepare maps.
GT: What is your advice to
students who are interested in Geography?
A: The students should get an exposure to
computers at an early stage. Survey and mapping of data today requires voluminous data
collection and correlation of that data aerially to the position on the ground with
calculations, which is possible with the help of computers. Geography will help you to
understand and correlate one set of data with another. For example, you can compare land
and population and interpret your solutions to some the problems existing in that region.
But again, for all this, you require a good knowledge of computers.
GT: What's the status of the
study of Geography in schools and universities?
A: Geography in the education system today
lacks the key teachings of the digital mapping systems and technological details that are
the focal point today for most of the careers in survey and mapping such as GIS, GPS and
remote sensing. There is a regional, national and even a global focus. However, today's
requirement is to teach a very local specific knowledge and application of the subject.
The student is lost in just a national scale approach, whereas local scale operations
would give him a better understanding of the fundamentals.
GT: Do think there are any
drawbacks in the GIS, GPS technology etc?
A: No. I think it is very useful and there
are no drawbacks in the technology apart from the data limitations of remote sensing. It
is a very successful technology. |
