Geospatial Information Regulation Bill

Geospatial Information Regulation Bill
Geospatial Information Regulation Bill
Parliament of India
Enacted byParliament of India
Status: Pending

The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 was introduced in Parliament of India in 2016.

Details

The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 was introduced in Parliament of India in 2016.[1][2][3][4] In the aftermath of the Pathankot Attack of 2016, to regulate the spatial info on maps such as Google Maps, the bill was prepared to restrict mapping by private companies with licensing. The bill was severely criticized for being too restrictive and not practical in its scope attracting severe reactions from industry and other government departments alike.[5] The initial wordings of the draft show the purpose of the regulation:

A Bill to regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution of geospatial information of India which is likely to affect the security, sovereignty and integrity of India and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.[4]

On 15 February 2021 the Department of Science & Technology released approved Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and Geo-spatial Data services including Maps.[6] These guidelines would largely replace the restrictions proposed within the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill of 2016 by deregulating the sector and allowing collaboration between industry and government agencies.[7]

References

  1. ^ "All you need to know about the draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill", The Hindu, 9 May 2016
  2. ^ "Geospatial Bill: India upset as Pak. moves UN", The Hindu, 18 May 2016
  3. ^ "Geospatial bill will impact tech giants like Google, Uber as well as Indians using GPS-enabled smartphones", The Economic Times, 11 May 2016
  4. ^ a b Draft of Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016
  5. ^ "How the Controversial Geospatial Bill Snowballed – And Was Then Shoved Into Cold Storage". The Wire. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and Geospatial Data Services including Maps" (PDF). Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. ^ Palanichamy, Raj Bhagat (24 February 2021). "The New Geospatial Data Guidelines Are Revolutionary – but Can Also Do More". The Wire Science. Retrieved 4 April 2021.


  • v
  • t
  • e