Manipur, a small state in the north-eastern part of India, has successfully used Geographic Information System (GIS) for mapping schools located in remote areas.
The state had launched the system with technical support from Mission of Geo-Spatial Application, a Central government, Delhi-based agency of the Centre.
This will help in keeping a check on the utilization of funds sanctioned by both the Centre and the state for building new infrastructure as well as developing the existing one. It is all the more important in context of Manipur as many remote areas are difficult to reach owing to bad roads and transport infrastructure and security reasons.
The system has helped map 4640 primary and upper primary schools across the state and the task is being accomplished by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s (Total Literacy Mission) State Mission Authority. Information about their longitudes and latitudes were gathered beforehand using the Global Positioning System (GIS). The system has also identified areas in the state in need of schools.