Bizarre draft of Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016

The article is written to understand the complexity of recently proposed Draft of “Geospatial information regulation Bill, 2016” which has been introduced in public domain to seeking public comments, and facing criticism upon text used in the draft as substantially seems unpractical.

 

At present in India, all the concerns & issues are regulated by official Secret Act,1962, national Map Policy associated with guidelines issued by Survey of India including other appropriate Policy. It is endeavour of Government to enact and regulate the bill to ensure boundary of India in correct manner and to remove all the area/establishment pertain to national security from the maps available in markets and with public.

 

This bill is drafted by lawmaker under the monitoring team of Ministry of home Affairs, government of India and draft seeks to ensure the security, sovereignty, and integrity of India as defined under preamble & introductory section.

 

Overview of Bill

 

Objective: The Objective of this draft is to regulate the Geospatial information and to protect the national security; sovereignty and integrity of India and to control, create and generate their own data bank.

 

Applicability: This act will be applicable to person includes; an individual, a company, a firm, a trust, an association of persons or a body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, every artificial juridical person, any agency; office or branch owned or controlled by any of the above person.

 

Grant of License: Draft is very clearly says that license to be required to obtain from the authority if licensee falls under the purview of this Act and it shall be mandatory to take permission from a government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing any geospatial information of India as the draft says “Any person who wants to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute any geospatial information of India, may make an application alongwith requisite fees to the Security Vetting Authority for security vetting of such geospatial information and licence thereof to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute such Geospatial Information in any electronic or physical form “ and apex committee shall supervise and purvey the implementation of this Act with consonance of existing policies.

 

Provision for Existing data: whoever having such existing data, liable to obtain license within a year of this Act coming into force, will have to apply for a license alongwith requisite fees and to take permission from “Security Vetting Authority for retaining such geospatial information”.

 

Role & function of Security Vetting Agency: The role of Security vetting agency is very clear, the authority will carry out security vetting of the Geospatial Information of India in time bound manner and the function of authority is to examine and scrutinize the application form and to grant and suspend license as may deem fit. Security vetting agency will check the technical and information content fill-up in application with regards to their eligibility and to maintain the consonance with the existing provision, the prime objective of function to achieve the protection of national security, sovereignty and integrity.

 

Obligations of a licensee:

 

1). It is illegal to keep such geospatial information unless the geospatial information’s are vetted by the Authority and shall not allowed to acquire, publish, disseminate or distribute any geospatial information of India.

2). While Publishing and distribution of Geospatial information, Licensee is liable to show the insignia which is official emblem of security vetting authority which means to clearance from the Authority to use the information in legally manner.

3). Licensee shall keep indemnify to Government, for any loss and damages due to use of security vetted geospatial information.

To whom it will effect?

 

This act will effect to companies are engaged in providing map/data services to individuals and business likes; Google Maps, Ola and Uber which is app based company and some other related to whatsapp, twitter and facebook wherein people share their location through the tab of check-in and checkout, this will impact more business which exits and start-up under the various scheme and initiative of Government.

 

Drastic Penalties:

 

Without having of license if the person acts contravention of this draft, may have fined as per below extent;

 

1). Keeping of Geospatial Information: If the person illegally keep the geospatial information may have fined from one Crore to one hundred Crore and Imprisonment upto seven years.

2). Spreading and distribution of Information: whoever spread, publish and distribute the information without having a license shall be punished upto seven year and may have fined from Ten Lac to One Hundred Crore.

3). Information use outside India: Any information use outside India without prior approval and permission from the authority mentioned in draft and if found any contravention with International Convention, treaty or by any agreement shall be punished with imprisonment upto seven year and may have fined from one Crore to one Hundred Crore.

 

Depiction of Map of India: Whoever intentionally and un-internationally depicts the wrong map of India shall be liable for their act and may have fined from Ten Lac to One Hundred Crore and/or with the imprisonment for a period upto seven years...Read More