NINTH POST GRADUATION COURSE ON REMOTE SENSING & GIS
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Dr. S.K. Saha,
Course Director |
Dr. S.P. Aggarwal,
Course Coordinator |
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Introduction |
The ninth Post-Graduate Course on " Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (RS&GIS)" of CSSTEAP, was conducted at Indian Institute of Remote Sensing ( IIRS) , Dehradun, from October 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. Total 20 participants from 11countries of Asia-Pacific Region (Bangladesh-1, Indonesia -1, Kyrgyz Republic -1, Mongolia -2, Myanmar -2, Nepal -2, Sri Lanka -3, Thailand -2, Uzbekistan -2, Vietnam -2 and India-2) participated in this course.
The Course was formally inaugurated by Dr. R. Natarajan, Chairman, All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), Govt. of India on October 12, 2004. Dr. R.R. Navalgund, Director, NRSA, Hyderabad, Dr. Karl Harmsen, Driector, CSSTEAP, Dr. P.S. Roy, Deputy Director CSSTEAP & DD (R.S. & GIS, NRSA) and Dr. V.K.Dadhwal, Dean, IIRS graced the occasion and addressed the gathering. On this occasion the Chief Guest also released printed revised lecture notes volumes of Module I of the course. Dr. S.K. Saha, Course Director presented outline of the course and Dr. S.P. Aggarwal, course coordinator proposed vote of thanks on this inaugural function.
A detailed syllabus framed by OOSA United Nations and the improvements as suggested by the Board of Studies of RS&GIS course was adopted for ninhth RS&GIS Course. The Phase I of this course is of nine months duration and is divided into three modules each of three months duration covering various aspects of Remote Sensing and GIS technologies and their applications in Natural Resources Inventory and Management, and Pilot Project work. In the first week of the course, an induction program ( Module O) consisting of lecture on Geographic Perspective of India, Social Systems, Customs and Festivals of India, Overview of Space Science, Technology and Applications, Natural Resources and Environmental Assessment were organized. Module I covered topics on Principles of Remote Sensing, Digital Photogrammetry, Digital Image Processing, GIS and GPS. Module II dealt with both optional and compulsory streams. The optional stream covered six thematic disciplines of RS&GIS applications, such as, Agriculture & Soils, Forestry & Ecology, Geosciences, Water Resources, Urban Analysis and Marine Sciences. The compulsory stream of Module-II covered several topics viz. Advances in RS&GIS Technology, Satellite Meteorology, Earth Process, Natural Disaster, and Environmental Analysis, Monitoring & Management. Each of the course participants has chosen one optional thematic discipline based on his / her academic qualification, professional experience, and technical requirement of their parent organization.
The course syllabus was mainly covered by the faculty of IIRS and additional guest lectures by National and International guest faculty on specialized topics were also arranged for the academic benefit of the course participants. The national guest lecturers were from various Indian Organizations/Institution/Universities such as Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, SAC and PRL, Ahmedabad, NRSA, Hyderabad, IIT and NIH,. Roorkee, FSI, WII, WIHG, SOI, DEAL, Dehradun, NSP, New Delhi, etc. Three international guest faculty from The Netherlands, France and Thailand were also invited to deliver lectures on specialized topics.
The academic program of the course was organized through class room lectures, tutorials, practical, multi-media self learning packages, field excursion, seminars etc. Sate of the art software and hardware on Digital Image Processing and GIS analysis were used for computer based practical exercises and for pilot project work. Lecture notes in the form of printed books and supplementary reading materials were distributed well in advance to the course participants to help easy assimilation of the subject in the class and for future reading. Soft-copy (in CD-ROM) of the lectures were also distributed. Academic performance of the course participants was evaluated through periodic class test, tutorials, seminar, written and practical examinations. English language class beyond office hours in the evening were also conducted during Module I of the course for improving English communication and writing skill of the course participants.
The course participants attended symposium and workshop during the course period, such as National Symposium on "Converging Space Technologies for Natinal Development" organized by Indian Society of Remote Sensing, at Jaipur during November 3 to 5, 2004; Workshop on " Space Technology and Education for Disaster Management" at Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun during October 25, 2004. An educational/study tour of two weeks duration to different Remote Sensing and GIS Establishments of the country was also organized as a part of course curriculum. The places visited include ISAC and ISRO Hqrs., Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre, Bangalore, NRSA, Hyderabad, Remote Sensing Satellite Data Receiving Earth Station, Shadnagar (near Hyderabad ), Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and Cyclone Warning Centre, IMD, Visakhapatnam. The course participants also got opportunity to experience Indian rich historic, cultural and social heritage during the visits to various Indian cities such as Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mysore,Visakhapatnam. On social front, the participants had glimpse of Indian festivities by their active participation in various festivals such as Dusseshra, Diwali, Id-ul-Fitr, Christmas etc.
The course participants learnt a great deal during the three months of pilot project carried out in Module III. The broad topics of the pilot projects under taken by the course participants during Module III are Crop inventory, Watershed Management, Desertification status, Flood Hazard Assessment, Landslide Hazard Assessment, Hydro-geological investigation, Costal Zone Management, Wet land inventory, Urban Sprawl, Water Quality parameters of coastal shelf, Irrigated crop land inventory, Urban Land use, Urban pollution, Forest Resource Inventory, Forest Land use Planning, Land subsidence study using InSAR
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