Map the babu mind

Objections to Google Earth8217;s India maps are ludicrous in the age of the Global Positioning System. The country8217;s policy of restricting the availability of maps was framed in the 19th century under British rule. Since then there have been incredible advances in satellite technology. Digital photography and remote sensing systems are today ubiquitous. But you would not know it, if you went by the official rulebook.

In 19th century India, topographical maps were considered a military secret and military entrepreneurs like Napolean used them to conquer large parts of Europe. Since the Survey of India 8212; now 232 years old 8212; has operated for the most part as a military intelligence operation, it still works within that framework. As a consequence, maps on 1:1 metre of areas 80 km wide along the external land border and coastline of India are restricted. There are restrictions on the publication of maps, the issue of gridded copies of maps, arial photographs, and trignometric and gravity data. National security is the ostensible reason for these restrictions. But in actual fact they only amount to denying important information to Indian citizens, information that is already widely available to the world. Toposheets of scale 1:250,000 8212; restricted in India 8212; are openly sold by international commercial agencies. Indian scientists have to acquire such information 8212; needed for geological mapping, earthscience studies, engineering and infrastructure projects, among a host of other uses 8212; by painfully negotiating a bureaucratic maze.

The irony of the situation is obvious to everybody except our bureaucrats and political leaders. No other country works itself into a lather over the issue as we do. It8217;s time the Government of India gave up on its Rip Van Winkle stance and threw its mindless and antiquated policy on maps out of the window. They should be treated as public goods and be made available to all citizens. Having passed the Right to Information Act, the government must now give Indian citizens the fundamental right to access geographical data.