Wrong depiction of India's map can land you in jail up to 7 years or Rs 100 cr fine

Companies or even individuals tampering with India's maps, beware! Wrong depiction of India's map like showing Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in Pakistan or Arunachal Pradesh in China can land you in thick soup.

The government is all set to come out with a law, Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016, that forbids wrong depiction, dissemination, publication or acquisition of India's geospatial information (geographical features including maps). And it can pinch the violators, whether inside India or outside, considerably by penalising them with a fine ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 crore and imprisonment up to seven years.

The bill puts in unequivocal terms that "No person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India, including international boundaries through Internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form."

"Whoever acquires any geospatial information of India in contravention of the law shall be punished with a fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 100 crore and/or imprisonment for a period up to seven years," says the draft bill.
Twitter and Google a few months earlier had shown incorrect Indian map prompting India to lodge strong protest following which the mistake was corrected.

The government that has put the bill for public debate plans to bring it in the next session of Parliament thereby enforcing India's geospatial features as it deems correct. The Union home ministry after a month or so would put the bill up for cabinet clearance, said sources.

Once the bill becomes an Act, no person shall acquire geospatial imagery or data including value addition of any part of India either through any space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircraft, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or terrestrial vehicles, or any other means whatsoever.

The law makes it illegal for companies to provide maps or imaging services like Google Maps without a prior licence. The licences will be provided only after the maps and the related services have been vetted by a Security Vetting Authority (SVA) that will be formed under the Union home ministry.

The SVA under the regulations of the Apex Authority, also under the union home ministry, shall carryout vetting of the Geospatial information of India in a time bound manner that will have to be adhered to.

This would ensure that online platforms like Google will have to apply for a license to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India and adhere to the geospatial information provided by the SVA.

To further ensure that its vetted geospatial is adhered to, the bill puts condition that "the Licensee shall display the insignia of the clearance of the Security Vetting Authority on the security vetted geospatial information by appropriate means such as water- marking or licence as relevant, while disseminating or distributing of such geospatial information."

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the central government or apex committee or Security Vetting Authority or Enforcement Authority on whom powers have been conferred pursuant to this Act, for anything which was done or purported to be done in good faith in pursuance of this Act or for any rule or regulation made under this Act, the draft bill says.