St. Joseph Vaz College & PCC Engineering, Goa, Lead National Dialogue on Geospatial Technology

Goa, February 26, 2025: The two-day National Summit on Geospatial Technology, jointly organised by St. Joseph Vaz College, Cortalim, and Padre Conceição College of Engineering, Verna, in collaboration with the Goa State Remote Sensing Centre, concluded on 22 February 2025 at Verna. The event brought together experts from science and engineering to explore advancements in geospatial technology.

Prof. Harilal Menon, Vice-Chancellor of Goa University, attended as Chief Guest and highlighted the significance of geospatial technology in urban planning, disaster management, and environmental monitoring. Mrs. Brenda Fernandes, Director of the Goa State Remote Sensing Centre, was the Guest of Honour. 

The organising institutions signed an MoU to advance geospatial research. Rev. Fr. Agnelo Gomes, Director of Agnel Technical Education Complex, Verna, and Rev. Fr. Lucio Dias, President of St. Joseph Vaz Educational Society, addressed the gathering.

Academic sessions featured speakers like Prof. F. M. Nadaf, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Higher Education, Goa, who discussed geospatial technology's applications. Dr. Uday Raj, Retired Chief General Manager of ISRO-Bangalore, highlighted its role in sustainable resource development. Mr. Marlon Rodrigues, Founder of Amche.in, introduced an open-source geospatial data-sharing portal. Hands-on training sessions were led by Mr. Krishna Lodha, Director of Rotten Grapes, Maharashtra, and Mr. Malcolm Afonso, Founder of Spatialcraft, Goa.

The technical sessions included Mr. Vithoba Sawant, Manager at Goa Electronics Ltd., who spoke on the Unified Geospatial Framework for Goa, and Dr. R. K. Singh, former Head of MR & Public Awareness at BARC-Mumbai, who discussed the integration of atomic energy with geospatial technology. A panel discussion moderated by sustainability consultant Ms. Joanna Pires explored geospatial tools in disaster preparedness.

The summit concluded with a valedictory function, featuring a prize distribution ceremony for the poster presentation on “Geospatial Technology: Transforming Goa.” Dr. Bolmax F. Pereira and Dr. Melwin D. D'Souza from St. Joseph Vaz College secured first place, while Mr. Ganesh Chari of Neshaju Envirotech Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, won second place.

The summit fostered knowledge-sharing, innovation, and collaboration, paving the way for further geospatial research in Goa and beyond.

By Fr. Bolmax F. Pereira