Maps of the past

Outdated map policy should be urgently reviewed

By definition, as new technologies replace old ones, there is a cycle of creative destruction. A classic example would be the internet that forced a global review of telecom and postal services. The pace of change can sometimes be stunningly quick. For example, India released a new National Map Policy (NMP) in 2005 - but that NMP is already out of date. It assumed that the official map maker, the Survey of India, had a monopoly of accurate mapping and surveying tools. But every Indian with a smartphone has access to digital-mapping tools that gather and share accurate geospatial data. This makes the restrictions prescribed in the NMP absolutely unenforceable.

The policy divides maps into two categories, "Open" and "Defence", as was the practice in earlier eras. The "Defence Series", which has higher resolutions and details, is classified and restricted to security forces. Listing the coordinates of sensitive installations, such as military establishments, ports, airports, Vidhan Sabhas, Parliament, Rashtrapati Bhavan and so on, is illegal. But 130 million Indians use smartphones and that number could soon double. Every smartphone can access the United States Navy's Global Positioning System (GPS). Many cars and two-wheelers also have GPS installed. This means anybody can pass by a sensitive installation - which means its position on a digital map overlaid on top of a GPS system is being recorded.

All three of the largest mobile operating systems - Windows Phone, Google's Android and Apple's iOS - offer digital maps. Every mapping service includes topical information. This may range from changes in road alignments, to locations of hotels, restaurants, metro stations, bus stands, medical facilities, petrol pumps, historic landmarks, etc. The more granular the data, the more useful the service. Interactive maps can even be cleverly programmed to account for traffic flows. Google uses an open-source updating model. It runs an annual "Mapathon" where it asks locals to update features of interest. The "Mapathon" invariably and inevitably runs foul of the NMP, and it has led to a series of invasive investigations.

Digital maps are of enormous value. They allow people to confidently navigate unfamiliar surroundings. They are a boon to drivers and a huge enabling tool for emergency services, such as ambulance, fire-brigade and police. GPS is also useful in many other civilian applications. Telecom service providers use it for accurate customer-location data. The bus systems in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bhopal rely on GPS for smooth traffic flow. Municipalities also use GPS to update road maps, to cross-check size of plots, mark sewers and electricity lines, and track municipal vehicles, such as water tankers. Transport operators, couriers and taxi services use GPS to manage their services. The sheer scale of adoption and the multiple utility make it impossible to stop GPS-based services in order to comply with the NMP. There is also not much point in specifically vetting Google's maps for sensitive geospatial data. Anybody can gather such data using an off-the-shelf device. Ergo, it is the NMP that needs to be reviewed and the new law must acknowledge that the GPS has replaced the theodolite. The security establishment must also assume that the coordinates of sensitive installations are already widely known and it should proceed accordingly.