Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications

About the Department

---

[ A MEMBER OF UNITED NATIONS-GLOBAL GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (UN-GGIM) ACADEMIC NETWORK ]

The Department was established during the session 2014-2015 with Prof Mahshar Raza, the then Dean Faculty of Science as its Founder Chairman. It was inaugurated on November 29, 2014 by Mr Harbans Singh, Director General, Geological Survey of India, Govt. of India and Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi in presence of Vice chancellor-Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, Pro vice chancellor-Brigadier Syed Ahmad Ali , senior Professors and other dignitaries. The classes of M.Sc. Remote Sensing & GIS Applications commenced during the month of November, 2015 in the premises of Geology Department, AMU, Aligarh. During the session 2014-15, the Department has been shifted to Biochemistry building with well-equipped labs, Seminar and class rooms. Rest of the information about the department are available with the respective links of this website & Background of this department is given below.

Background:

1. In Aligarh Muslim University, the application of Remote Sensing in the field of Earth Sciences was initiated in the year 1984 with the establishment of Remote Sensing Applications Center for Resource Evaluation and Geoengineering (RSACREG) with Prof Iqbaluddin as its director. The center started M.Phil programme in 1987 and PhD programm in 1990. 12 (Twoelve) M.Phil. and 07 (Seven) Ph.D. degrees were awarded to students in the field of Remote Sensing Applications.

2. The Academic Council in its meeting held on September 19, 1998 approved that the Erstwhile Remote Sensing Applications Center for Resource Evaluation and Geoengineering be merged with Department of Geology, AMU. The Center was merged with Department of Geology in the same year.

3. The Board of Studies of Department of Geology, held on May 13, 2000 resolved that the Center be demerged from the Department of Geology.

4. The issue of demerger of the center was discussed in the special meeting of the Faculty of Science in its meeting held on January 01, 2001 and the Dean was authorized to constitute a committee to look into the whole issue.

5. The committee constituted by the Dean F/O Science recommended that a separate Department of Remote Sensing Applications should be established in the University.

6. On the recommendation of Academic Council under item-6 at its meeting held on August 18, 2007, the Executive Council under item 8(6) at its meeting held on October 10, 2007, the University Court at its meeting held on December 02, 2007 under item 8 had approved amendments/additions in Statutes 20 (2) of the Statutes of the Aligarh Muslim University under section 28 of the AMU act XL of 1920.

7. The said amendments/additions were sent Under Secretary Ministry of HRD, Government of India with request to submit the same to the visitor of the University.

8. The President of India, in her capacity as the visitor of the University accorded approval for amendments/additions under section 28(6) of the AMU act XL of 1920.

9. After approval by the visitor, the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications was incorporated in the statutes of the University. A circular for establishment of the said Department was issued vide CII-court (109)-3/2110, dated January 18, 2011.

10. The Vice Chancellor, vide letter No. ( C ) /1779 dated January 31, 2012, authorized the Dean Faculty of Science to constitute a committee to initiate the process by taking necessary actions require to make the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications functional.

11. The Dean Faculty of Science constituted a committee vide Office No. 1213/F.Sc dated March 27,2014, to take necessary action to make the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications (IDRS &GISA) functional.

12. The committee in its meeting held on march 10, 2014 recommended that (i) the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications be considered as functional from March 10, 2014 under the Chairmanship of Dean Faculty of Science and authorized the Dean to initiate process of admission from the academic session 2014-2015 with an intake of 15 students but at present academic session 2020-2021 intake of 20 students {(12-12-2019 (D.No. 1197/Adms./20-21/AS dated 01-01-2020)} on the basis of a Departmental test (ii)Constituted the Board of Studies (BOS) of the said Department, the same was approved by the Vice-chancellor under section 19 (3) vide Office Order No. ( C)/7559, dated July 31, 2014 (iii) constituted a three member committee to draft the ordinances of the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications. The committee was approved by Vice Chancellor, vide letter Acad/D-648/HZ dated July 07, 2014.

13. The committee framed the Ordinances of the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications and recommended for approval of the Faculty of Science.

14. Faculty of Science in its meeting held on August 05, 2014 approved: a) Syllabus for admission test for M Sc ( Remote Sensing and GIS Applications); b) Course Structure of M Sc (Remote sensing and GIS Applications); c) Ordinances for M Sc (remote Sensing and GIS applications) and d) Dean F/O Science authorized to initiate process of admission to MSc (Remote Sensing and GIS Applications) for the academic session 2014-15 with an intake of 15 students on the basis of admission test.

15. V.C. on recommendation of F/O science as recommended in its meeting held on 05-08-2014 approved introduction of MSc (Remote Sensing and GIS Applications) course for the session 2014-15.

16. Admission test conducted on 01-10-2014 to select students for admission to M.Sc. (Remote Sensing and GIS Applications)

17. Prof Qazi Mazhar Ali, Dean Faculty of Science & Chairperson, Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing & GIS Application (IDRS & GISA) apprised that the BOS of IDRS & GISA held on 12-12-2019 has recommended Modification in the Qualification/Eligibility for Admission to M.Sc. (Remote Sensing & GIS Applications) along with increase intake from 15 to 20 seats from the session 2020-2021 (https://www.amu.ac.in/newdata/depttmom/15545.pdf)