On a different note?

What leads us to make a map?

A desire to locate from anything to everything on the earth.

A quest to know about ourselves, about our surroundings, our earth, our universe.

Or simply a desperation to fi nd a footing on this vast earth?

In India, map making was intimate with imperialism. Partially to understand this mystical land but more importantly to conquer and exploit.

Security of maps was considered very important.

That began the legacy.

National Security’ is a potent term that has the potential to blunt any advocacy of sharing of spatial information.

Hence, it is not a simple statement when Lt Gen Ranjit Singh, SM, Engineer-in-Chief and Senior Comdt, the Corps of Engineers, Indian Army in an interview with Coordinates says, Security concerns about maps are at times overplayed.”

It refl ects the changing perception, approach and strategies even in security forces in dealing with the issues associated with geo-spatial information in an era of fast changing technologies.