S. Vishnu Sharma
Map making contest, registration for the competition will commence from 7 December and would go on till 18 December.
Candidates can take part in the Map making contest and prepare maps on any topic and win prizes.
IIT Bombay, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) are jointly organising the Map making contest.
Map making contest
The aim behind conducting Map making contest is to bring out the potential of Indian remote sensing data and make maps for Indian regions with help of free open source mapping software (QGIS).
Also, the participants of Map making contest will collectively work in a crowd sourcing method for jointly producing thematic maps of India using Indian remote sensing data.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for taking part in the Map making contest is the participant has to be an Indian national.
It is desirable that participants in the Map making contest have some basic knowledge of maps and map making.
It would be good if the participants of Map making contest have some basic mapping expertise.
Students and working professionals can take part in Map making contest.
Participation critera
The participation in Map making contest can be either as an individual or in a team.
If the participation is in a team, the strength of it has to be not more than four individuals.
What to do
Individuals or teams participating in the contest have to first register and choose a topic on which they have to prepare a map.
Participants of Map making contest have to use any open source mapping software like QGIS and then create maps at boundaries given by the organisers.
Once the maps made ready, participants have to submit them.
After due analysis of the submissions, winners will be judged and prizes and certificates will be distributed.
Important dates
Registration for Map making contest by IIT Bombay, ISRO and AICTE has started on 7 December and will go on till 18 December.
Participants can begin submitting the maps they have made from 14 to 31 December this year. The results for the Map making contest will be declared from 4 to 10 January.
How to register
Candidates willing to take part in Map-making contest have to first register online.
Participants have to visit the official website for Map making contest ‘https://iitb-isro-aicte-mapathon.fossee.in/home’
Soon after the webpage downloads upon clicking the above url, candidates can see a button ‘Register’ written in white colour on green background.
The button will be right below the banner which is just below the url bar.
Once ‘Register’ is clicked the page will scroll down automatically and halt at a QR code. Also the participants can see a button ‘Scan QR code or click here to register’ written in white colour on blue background.
Candidates can scan the QR code and start registration or can click the button below it to commence registration for Map making contest.
If the candidates click the button below the QR code, a webpage with url ‘https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZflKNk4lQyegenUEuEkmv9XBoXKXvpur76edT8FtJK4AKjA/viewform’ will download which is nothing but the application form for registration.
Candidates have to fill the form which will have details like their team name, number of team members, topic on which they would like to prepare maps.
Post filling the required information candidates can submit their registration forms for Map making contest.
Post registration they can focus on making maps and begin submitting from 14 to 31 December.
Topic for maps
The topics on which participants of Map making contest can make maps and submit are given below:
# Mapping of natural resources / man-made features.
# Change Detection based on AWIFS or LISS III Datasets.
# LULC Change with hotspots using LULC maps from Bhuvan.
# Flood Maps.
#State-wise Health Care Indicators Maps.
# Locust infestation/Stubble burning/Low lying areas/ Jhum Cultivation.
# Road Network/Drainage Maps.
# Land Degradation Maps.
# Health infra, population, age group etc for vaccination.
# Detection of change in Waterbodies / Reservoirs / Wetlands.
# Apart from the topics mentioned earlier, participants can make maps on some topic of their choice also.
Points to remember
# The maps for the Map making contest should be created at national/state/district level boundaries using ISRO data.
# ISRO data is available on the following websites mentioned below:
$ https://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/
$ https://vedas.sac.gov.in/
$ https://www.mosdac.gov.in/
$ https://airquality.iirs.gov.in/
$ https://nesdr.gov.in/
# Participants of the contest can browse this link ‘https://static.fossee.in/mapathon/Mapathon2020_Data/’ for boundary data and materials.
The participants in the contest can also refer the link ‘https://data.gov.in/’ for data.
Information
More information about map contest can be obtained from the brochure which is accessible at ‘https://iitb-isro-aicte-mapathon.fossee.in/static/cms/uploads/pdf/poster.pdf’
Spoken tutorials for learning QGIS is available at the link ‘https://spoken-tutorial.org/tutorial-search/?search_foss=QGIS&search_language=English’
Contact
Participants of the contest can send an email in case they have any queries regarding the competition to ‘mapathon@fossee.in’