The National Atlas of India

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive account of the National Atlas of India project, covering its background, objectives, organizational structure, cartographic methods, and specific mapping examples. The project was proposed by Dr. S. P. Chatterjee in the early 1950s, approved by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and formally established in 1956 as the National Atlas Organization. Its primary goal is to produce a national atlas depicting India's physical and socio-economic characteristics, initially in Hindi, followed by English and regional languages. The objectives include aiding regional planning, helping citizens understand regional diversity, showcasing India's geography to the world, and creating employment for geography graduates. The article reviews India's mapping organizations, noting the Survey of India as the main agency but lacking specialized cartographic departments, thus highlighting the need for the National Atlas Organization. The organizational methods detail the division between the Research Office and Drawing Office, covering data collection, analysis, cartographic experimentation, and final map production. Specific mapping examples include population and landuse maps. The population map employs an innovative 'Coin System' of dot values, using dots of varying sizes to represent rural and urban populations, achieving for the first time a unified scale for both symbols. Landuse surveys are conducted in the Damodar Valley region, with plans to extend to typical regions across India. The article concludes that the project enhances India's cartographic standards and provides scientific support for planning and development.