UPSC Mains 2015 · GS III · Q11 · 12.5 marks · 200 words

What do you understand by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Precision Positioning Systems’ in the GPS era ? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.

हिन्दी में

जी.पी.एस. युग में, ‘मानक स्थिति-निर्धारण प्रणालियों’ और ‘परिशुद्ध स्थिति-निर्धारण प्रणालियों’ से आप क्या समझते हैं ? केवल सात उपग्रहों का इस्तेमाल करते हुए अपने महत्त्वाकांक्षी आई.आर.एन.एस.एस. कार्यक्रम से भारत किन लाभों को देखता है, इस पर चर्चा कीजिए ।

Space Technology

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “What is the need for NavIC when existing satellite navigation systems are already available?”

Simrandeep KaurAIR 15 · CSE 2025 · 75 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

NaVIC is an Indian regional navigation system comprising of 7 satellites - 4 geosynchronous & 3 geostationary.

Body · points

Diagram
Other Navigation systems -> Global of USA - GPS Other Navigation systems -> RISAT, ECOSAT Other Navigation systems -> Gagan - Gemini

Need for NAVIC

  1. Regional Navigation in low earth orbit for detailed use.

  2. Use of GIS in various fields

Diagram
Remote Sensing Imagery --> GIS --> maps NavIC --> GIS --> dacumentation GIS --> planning

  1. Security purposes!- specific system for Defence forces.

  2. Sectoral Needs

Diagram
Sectoral Needs --> Trade & Infrastructure Sectoral Needs --> Disaster management Sectoral Needs --> Agro met services Sectoral Needs --> Urban planning Sectoral Needs --> Navigation in sea, oceans.
  1. For Industrial Revolution 4.0.
    • Satellite based networking.
    • IoT, AI, Robotics, etc.

Close

NaVIC is specialized for new needs of new India for its Amritkaal preparations.

3 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper III, Q11. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.