Geotagging
Topic: Remote Sensing, GIS and GNSS · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Geotagging means attaching a location to a record. The location is given as GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude from satellite navigation), usually with a photograph. In India, this is done through Bhuvan, ISRO's online map portal. A field worker photographs a government asset with a phone app, and the photo is saved with its exact spot on the map. Officials can then check from anywhere that the work really exists at that place. This cuts fake claims and makes schemes more transparent.
Example
Since 2016, assets built under MGNREGA, such as farm ponds and check dams in villages, are geotagged on Bhuvan. Houses built under PMAY-G and ponds dug under Amrit Sarovar are also tracked this way, so anyone can see each asset's photo and location on the map.
Don't confuse with
- Georeferencing: giving a map or satellite image real-world coordinates so that layers line up in a GIS. Geotagging adds a location to a single record or photo.
Related concepts
- Bhuvan
- National Spatial Data Infrastructure
- Geospatial guidelines 2021
- Drone Rules 2021
- SVAMITVA scheme
- National Geospatial Policy 2022
- FASAL