Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke via video conference to the UN World Geospatial International Congress (UNWGIC) held in Hyderabad “The international community needs an institutional strategy to assist one another in times of need. Global organisations like the UN can set the example for getting resources to every region’s last mile.”
“Geo Enabling the Global Village—No One Must Be Left Behind” is the topic of the second UNWGIC.
In elaborating on the subject, PM Modi said that the goal of “Antyodaya” is to empower the final individual during the final mile while they are still on a mission. “It is a vision that has led us in the final mile of mass empowerment.”
The prime minister discussed India’s development process in terms of bringing banking, insurance, and technology in general to rural India. “450 million people are unbanked, which is more people than in the USA. 135 million people are uninsured, which is roughly twice as many people as in France. 110 million families will have access to sanitary facilities, and 60 million families will have access to tap water. No one is being left behind, thanks to India.”
PM Modi further emphasised that technology is not an instrument of exclusion but rather an instrument of inclusion in India. “The PM-SVAMITVA Yojana is an illustration of how individuals benefit from digitisation. We are mapping properties in villages using drones, and locals are receiving their property cards as a result “stated PM Modi.
The Prime Minister stated that skill and technology are the two main pillars supporting India’s progress. “Technology leads to change. If you walk outside, even the smallest vendors accept and prefer digital payments, making India the world leader in real-time digital payment. During COVID-19, it benefited the underprivileged.”
“The inhabitants in rural areas now have clear ownership documentation for the first time in decades. The majority of you are aware that property rights are the foundation of success in every country. When women are the primary owners, this prosperity can be increased even more. In India, we carry out this activity.”
India is one of the top startup centres in the world, the PM noted. Since 2021, the number of unicorn start-ups has roughly doubled, he claimed.
The UN committee of experts on global geospatial information management will convene the five-day conference, which will be held from October 10 to October 14 and is being hosted by the Department of Science and Technology.
A variety of leaders and participants from many stakeholder groups, including governments, academic institutions, regional and worldwide professional associations, the corporate world, and civil society, came together for the second congress.
The UNWGIC encouraged knowledge and idea exchange, highlighted innovations, shared successful case studies, identified solutions, discussed future initiatives, and provided chances for mutual learning on a range of subjects.
The nine Strategic Pathways of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework will serve as the UNWGIC’s guiding themes (IGIF).
Other related topics include the use of geospatial information to address climate change, support sustainable development, promote and ensure professional diversity, and showcase country-level action plans or alignment of current national capabilities to the IGIF. Geospatial information is also used to collect, manage, report, and act on indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals.
