Homegrown NavIC helping in real-time tracking of 10,400 trains, 40,000 fishing vessels: Minister
New Delhi, Feb 12
Real-time train tracking is operational on over 10,400 locomotives and over 40,000 fishing vessels have been equipped with NavIC receivers for tracking and emergency alerts, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the commercial and public utilisation of NavIC has seen significant growth over the past years.
"More than 60 mobile handset models from major global manufacturers support positioning with NavIC. To strengthen the constellation, ISRO is in the process of launching the NVS series (NVS-03, NVS-04, and NVS-05) of second-generation satellites," the minister informed.
He further stated that disaster alerts and personal distress connectivity is provided through GSAT and NavIC/GAGAN systems under Vessel Communication and Support Systems (VCSS) of Department of Fisheries.
In addition, search-and-rescue using three satellites under COSPAS-SARSAT programme have been used to save lives during many distress incidents in the Indian service area.
Moreover, NavIC one way messaging service broadcasts emergency warnings for cyclones, tsunamis, and high wave alerts directly to NavIC-enabled receivers on boats -- in coordination with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
Singh said that the system provides potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisories to help fishermen locate fish aggregations, saving fuel and time, while simultaneously providing International Maritime Boundary alerts to prevent accidental straying into foreign waters.
According to an official statement, satellite internet services are emerging as critical solution to bridge India's digital divide. Programmes like BharatNet and Digital India already leverages use of satellite connectivity in broadband area to expand the reach.
The benefit of communication satellites are translated in terms of applications like television broadcasting, DTH television, telecommunication, Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services, Radio networking, Headend In The Sky (HITS), Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC), and societal applications.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone whose family is in the fishing business, this is a huge relief. The boundary alerts to prevent straying and the emergency warnings for cyclones can save so many lives. Jai Hind!
Impressive technological achievement. Reducing dependency on foreign GPS systems is a major strategic move. The integration with disaster management is particularly smart.
Great progress, but I hope the focus remains on making the technology affordable and accessible for all. The digital divide is real, especially in rural areas. The potential fishing zone advisories sound very useful though.
Finally! I can check if my train is actually on time now. 😄 On a serious note, this is a massive infrastructure upgrade. Proud of ISRO and our scientists.
A respectful suggestion: while the deployment numbers sound good, transparency on the actual operational effectiveness and coverage would build more public trust. How many distress alerts have been successfully acted upon?
The fact that over 60 phone models support it is key for mass adoption. Next step should be mandatory integration in all devices sold in India. Strategic autonomy in navigation is crucial.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.