Thanks Vaishnavi for the draft bill. Lets identify clauses, which we may find partial or unjustified. We can review them together, and consolidate it as our collective response before forwarding it to the Department. Can we form a short term dedicated work force for this activity ?
Regards, Suvajit Sengupta Regards, Suvajit My galleria @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeet_sen On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 8:49 AM, Vaishnavi Jayakumar (Inclusive India) < vaishnavi.jayaku...@inclusiveindia.info> wrote: > Not should, but MUST. We have 30 days to respond / campaign for this. > The draft is attached as sourced 2016-05-06 via > http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/GeospatialBill_05052016_eve.pdf > > > indiatoday.intoday.in > http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/take-license-or-close-maps-modi-govt-may-soon-tell-google/1/659908.html > Take licence or close Maps, Modi govt may soon tell Google > > Indian government is working on a new law that will make it illegal for > companies to provide maps or imaging services like Google Maps without a > prior licence. Also, the licence will be provided only after the maps and > the related services have been vetted by a special committee -- Security > Vetting Authority -- that will be formed to look into it. > > Once the licence has been provided, the service will have to adhere to > certain norms and show accurate maps of India. Any violation will not only > attract a fine of up to Rs 1 crore but may also result in punitive action > -- up to 7 years of jail -- against the executives of the company providing > maps. > > The draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, which the NDA > government is hoping to introduce soon in the Parliament, shows the bill is > aimed at ensuring that all maps distributed in the country -- digitally or > physically -- are accurate and adhere to the guidelines issued by the > government. > > “Every person who has already acquired any geospatial imagery or data of > any part of India either through space or aerial platforms such as > satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or > terrestrial vehicles... shall within one year from the commencement of this > Act, make an application along with requisite fees to the Security Vetting > Authority for retaining such geospatial information and grant of > licence,” notes the draft of the bill . > > In the past, on some occasions there have been inaccuracies in some of the > maps provided by services like Google Maps as they have shown India without > areas like PoK. With the new bill, the government hopes to put an end to it. > > The draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill describes it as 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.” > > Interestingly, even as the government hopes to punish mapping errors by > private bodies, the government organisations will not be regulated by the > Geospatial Information Regulation Bill. > > “The Central Government may, by notification in Official Gazette, exempt > the Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Enterprises or any other > attached or subordinate offices of the Central Government or State > Governments from the provisions of this Act to the extent it deems fit,” > notes the draft. > > Services like Google Maps have been of great use for most people but they > have also created some unease among the government officials. A few years > ago when Google started mapping roads in Bengaluru for its Street View > service, the company was told to put the project on hold because of the > security concerns. While Google continues to talk to the government for the > Street View project, even after years it has apparently not secured the > permission. > > At the same time, the company’s geo teams have found the going much easier > while working with the government for mapping tourist attractions. In the > last few years, Google and Archaeological Survey of India have worked > together to bring a lot of monuments like Taj Mahal online. > > Once it is approved, it is not clear how the bill will change the > regulatory conditions for companies like Google. For now companies > providing map services are not saying anything but at a time when creating > and distributing maps or geo-imagery is incredibly easy, it is possible > that the government may not find enforcing the Geospatial Information > Regulation Bill easy. > > > --------------------------------------- > *VAISHNAVI JAYAKUMAR* > http://about.me/vjayakumar > > On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 8:27 AM, Nisha Thompson <ni...@datameet.org> wrote: > >> We should start drafting a response >> On May 6, 2016 7:34 AM, "srinivas kodali" <iota.kod...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Maybe. Wait for the draft to be out. >>> On May 5, 2016 11:06 PM, "Dilip Damle" <cadvis...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> HI, >>>> >>>> I was shocked to see this news today. >>>> >>>> >>>> http://www.businessinsider.in/PoK-and-Arunachal-as-disputed-territories/articleshow/52129850.cms >>>> >>>> >>>> A part from the news >>>> >>>> "To add to this, the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill would soon >>>> be brought to tables, and any person or institution acquiring and >>>> disseminating any geospatial imagery or data of any part of India through >>>> space or aerial platforms will be required to first seek permission and >>>> license from a government authority." >>>> >>>> A so a large part of what we are doing here will become Illegal >>>> >>>> >>>> Rgards >>>> Dilip Damle >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Datameet is a community of Data Science enthusiasts in India. Know more >>>> about us by visiting http://datameet.org >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "datameet" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to datameet+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>> -- >>> Datameet is a community of Data Science enthusiasts in India. Know more >>> about us by visiting http://datameet.org >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "datameet" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to datameet+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> -- >> Datameet is a community of Data Science enthusiasts in India. Know more >> about us by visiting http://datameet.org >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "datameet" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to datameet+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- > Datameet is a community of Data Science enthusiasts in India. Know more > about us by visiting http://datameet.org > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "datameet" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to datameet+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Datameet is a community of Data Science enthusiasts in India. Know more about us by visiting http://datameet.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "datameet" group. 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