Survey of India the National Mapping Agency to Government of India under Department of Science & Technology bears a special responsibility to ensure that the country's domain is explored and mapped suitably, provide base maps for expeditious and integrated development and ensure that all resources contribute with their full measure to the progress, prosperity and security of our country now and for the generations to come.
In the year 2017, Survey of India is celebrating two hundred and fifty years of glorious history (1767-2017) of its achievments. Government of India has come up with two major policies in Geospatial domain. • National Map Policy 2005 • National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP - 2012)
As a result of National Map Policy, Survey of India began publishing new map series named Open Series Map (OSM) on 1:50K scale in it's first step primarily for supporting development activities in the country.
Presently Government of India has decided to provide pdf of Open Series Maps on 1:50K scale with the support of NDSAP-2012 in which Aadhar has been identified as user authentication tool through nakshe portal.
This application was first envisaged by Prof. Ashuthosh Sharma, Secretary, DST during his address to Senior Officers' Conference in June 2016 at Survey of India HQ, Dehra Dun and subsequently by Dr. Harsha Vardhan, Hon'ble Union Minister for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences during his visit to Survey of India HQ on 13.7.2016.
All Indian residents having Aadhar number can access the pdf OSM maps through nakshe after verification. They can use the map for their Studies, researches, development Projects. Export, commercialization, alteration and any kind of illegal practices are not allowed in this pdf OSM maps. The IPR solely belongs to Survey of India.
Survey of India started nakshe portal on 10 janury 2017 through which it offers indian citizens free maps in pdf format. These maps are available at the scale of 1:50000
Apart from free pdf maps in nakshe, Survey of India also facilitates indian citizens to buy maps in other formats( DGN, DEM, ARC, SHAPEFILE, GEOTIFF) through map transaction registry. User may order and pay online, one or more maps in various above given formats. User must download, fill, sign and upload License Agreement if any formats from -SHAPE FILE, ARC Geodatabase,DGN, DEM is required and ordered.