Governor Nand Kishore Yadav visited the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre and Drone Centre of Excellence under the Planning & Transformation Department on September 7. (Photo Courtesy: PRO Lok Bhavan Nagaland)
Kohima, September 7 (MExN): Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav on Monday visited the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre (NGISRSC) and the Drone Centre of Excellence under the Planning & Transformation Department, and was briefed on the state’s growing capabilities in drone technology and geospatial applications.
The Governor was informed that under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission (NSEDM), 70 candidates have been selected for training in various drone-related courses, while 72 trainees have already completed training at the Centre, PRO Lok Bhavan Nagaland said in a press release.
Yadav expressed appreciation for the functioning and initiatives of the NGISRSC, describing himself as “truly fascinated” by its work, and assured support for strengthening its activities and capabilities, it said.
He said drone technology has applications across diverse sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, environmental monitoring, cinematography and geospatial mapping, and stressed the need to prepare the state’s youth for future employment opportunities in emerging technologies.
The Governor was briefed on Nagaland’s journey in adopting drone technology, which began with the establishment of a Drone Unit for mapping, surveying and geospatial data acquisition, and has since evolved through research, collaboration with stakeholders and government departments, and regional recognition in UAV training.
The Drone School’s evolution into a Centre of Excellence was aimed at creating skilled manpower and career pathways in employment, entrepreneurship, start-ups and public-sector UAV deployments, it said, adding that the Centre offers DGCA-compliant Remote Pilot Certificate courses for small and medium category drones, besides training in First Person View (FPV) operations, drone repair and maintenance, GIS drone survey and mapping, drone cinematography and hands-on avionics.
According to the release, the future vision for NGISRSC includes a State Geospatial Campus at Tuoliezou, Kohima, along with an Advanced Drone Technology and UAV Innovation Hub, envisaging capabilities in AI-enabled drones, LiDAR, multispectral and thermal sensors, autonomous systems, and fabrication, prototyping, repair and manufacturing facilities, with applications in disaster response, agriculture, health and infrastructure.
The Governor also spoke of leveraging modern technology and innovation for effective governance and development, and urged the Centre to contribute towards the vision of a self-reliant India and the prime minister’s Viksit Bharat 2047 goal.
Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema and other officials of the Planning & Transformation Department were also present during the visit, it added.
.jpg)
