Previous Year Question
In the context of space technology, what is ‘Bhuvan’, recently in the news?
A mini satellite launched by ISRO for promoting distance education in India
The name given to the next Moon Impact Probe for Chandrayaan-II
A geoportal of ISRO with 3-D imaging capabilities of India
A space telescope developed by India
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Bhuvan is not an ISRO satellite but an India-centric geospatial platform or geoportal. It has been developed by ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
Option (c) is correct.
Bhuvan was launched in 2009.
It enables users to view, analyse and download selected remote-sensing imagery and other geospatial data obtained from Indian satellites.
It provides 2-D and 3-D visualisation of different parts of India.
IRS imagery, terrain data, administrative boundaries, soil information, census data and thematic maps can be viewed through it.
Working of Bhuvan
Earth-observation satellites use sensors to record electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted from the Earth’s surface.
After geometric and radiometric corrections, these data are converted into maps and thematic layers.
Bhuvan delivers these satellite images and thematic layers to users through a web-based Geographic Information System.
Therefore, Bhuvan is not a satellite that collects data but a geospatial delivery platform that displays and enables the use of satellite data.
Major uses directly related to the question
Agriculture: Maps related to crop area, agricultural resources and drought-affected regions.
Water resources: Information concerning reservoirs, water bodies, watersheds and groundwater prospects.
Forests and environment: Thematic information on forest cover, biodiversity and environmental changes.
Disaster management: Maps showing the impact of floods, cyclones, landslides, forest fires and other disasters.
Rural and urban development: Monitoring of land use, settlements, infrastructure and development programmes.
E-governance: Location-based governance applications for Central ministries and State governments.
Open data: Visualisation and downloading of selected satellite data and thematic datasets.
Current technological status
Bhuvan NextGen provides different modes such as Standard, Thematic, Data Hub, Governance and Disaster.
It is not merely a portal for displaying general satellite maps; it focuses particularly on Indian government programmes, natural-resource management and disaster-support applications.
All images available on Bhuvan are not real-time. Different layers can have different acquisition dates, resolutions and update frequencies.