ABOUT

Hear It From Me

GeoMap Society (GEMS) was started in 1990 by a group of persons with a lead role by GS Kumar, Director, Survey of India, to promote maps and map related activities. In 1992 a monthly journal GIS India was started perhaps the first journl on GIS from Asia. This received support from several professionals mainly from NRSC (at that time NRSA), Survey of India, academic institutions and others. GEMS regularly orgnaised annual GeoMap Quiz or students, training programmes, seminars and also published books.

Maps Today

After more than 25 years, the journal had to be discontinued in 2017. After some gap a new journal “Maps Today” was started in November 2018. The objective continued to be map related activities.

Digital

Today Map means Digital map. It is a combination of data from Traditional map, imagery from te Remote Sensing, GPS, Surveying, other sources and integrating into Geographical Information System (GIS). Right from hiring a cab to engineering applications, it is the Map combined with applications SW that has become part of our daily lives.

Geographical Information System (GIS) over a period of about four decades evolved necessitating use of new terms like – Geomatics, GeoInformation Technology, Spatial Information technology, GeoSpatial Technology. This is a natural outcome because GIS has embraced many disciplines and Technologies. Most of the IT Companies have started GIS departments. And universities have established GIS related courses at graduate, PG and Doctorate levels.

Integration

Maps, Total Station, Levelling, Land surveying, GIS, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, Cartography, LiDAR, Laser, Drone based surveys, etc are now integral part of Geospatial Technologies (GST). So, it has become necessary to use several technologies and skills to provide working solutions for any project big or small.

Today’s need

Ordering food or hiring a cab or constructing road or dam, GIS plays important role. It has therefore become necessary to understand strengths and limitations of various sub-technologies and softwares of GIS.

The limiting factors are the policies on creation and use of spatial data. A comprehensive policy on spatial data is needed – its generation, access and sharing.. There are several issues coming in the way of promoting GIS which emerges as – IT based management system.

Geopedia

It is in this context that GEMS is going for a web portal which amongst others can serve the cause of GIS more effectively

Readers/users can obtain information and details on

articles based on topic of search
doubts, questions, queries…Experts will provide answers
events arranged in a user friendly manner
News based on topics of interest
ancient and historical information
career opportunities

training, research and development opportunities