Indian Institute of Remote Sensing


The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing is a premier institute for research, higher education and training in the field of Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics and GPS Technology for Natural Resources, Environmental and Disaster Management under the Indian Department of Space, which was established in the year 1966. It is located in the city of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

History

Formerly known as Indian Photo-interpretation Institute, the Institute was founded on 21 April 1966 under the aegis of Survey of India. It was established with the collaboration of the Government of The Netherlands on the pattern of Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente, formerly known as International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, The Netherlands. The original idea of setting the Institute came from India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru during his visit to The Netherlands in 1957.
The Institute's building at Kalidas Road, Dehradun was inaugurated on 27 May 1972. Since its founding, the Institute has been playing a key role in capacity building in remote sensing and geoinformatics technology and their applications for the benefit of the user community from India and abroad. Today, it has programmes for all levels of users, i.e. mid-career professionals, researchers, academia, fresh graduates and policy makers.

NRSA converted into a government entity under DOS/ISRO

NRSA is closely associated with various programmes of the Department of Space /Indian Space Research Organisation, in particular, the Earth Observation Programme, Disaster Management Support and other programmes of national importance. To enable NRSA to carry out its responsibilities in a more effective manner, the Government has after careful consideration, decided to convert it into a Government entity, to be called a National Remote Sensing Centre, a Centre under DOS/ISRO, effective 1 September 2008.

Reorganisation of the IIRS as independent unit of ISRO

Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun has been premier institute responsible for capacity building in the field of Remote Sensing and GIS applications. It has grown manifolds and establish itself as an institute of repute both nationally and internationally. Realising the potential of Earth Observation System and ISRO's forthcoming initiatives in the areas of Natural Resource Survey, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman ISRO has reorganised IIRS as a separate entity of ISRO w.e.f. 30 April 2011. IIRS will continue its Training, Education and Research programmes with enhanced focus on Microwave Remote Sensing, Hyperspectral Remote Sensing and Climate studies.
The institute will be guided by a Management Council which will provide overall direction for the development of the institute. Dr. P.S. Roy, Outstanding Scientist has been appointed as first Director of IIRS w.e.f 30 April 2011.

Courses

The focus of the IIRS is training and education in the field of geoinformatics. Technology and applications of Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS are taught in the form of training and education.

Educational courses

M. Tech in Remote Sensing and GIS in Natural Resource Management, affiliated to
Andhra University, in one of the following optional streams
'''Master's in Science, awarded by ITC, Netherlands in
Post Graduate Diploma in
Certificate courses
Environmental Assessment and Disaster Management
Processing
The following NNRMS and ISRO-sponsored courses are for university faculty only.
IIRS has collaborations with many reputed international organisations for capacity building, research and faculty exchange. The organisations with which IIRS has/had significant collaborations are: ITC, IHE and Wageningen University in The Netherlands; ITTO ; UNESCO ; WMO ; ADPC ; and NGI.