Upgraded GEMINI to Boost India’s Maritime Security

Rajkot: With Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI) — the indigenously developed technology that aims to disseminate information to fishermen in mid-sea — set to be taken to the next level, India’s maritime security will get a major boost.

Till now, it was used only to provide information to fishermen about the weather perils and catch information while in mid-sea. However, the improved communication device will now be two-ways, with fishermen being able to provide crucial information to security agencies on the coasts.

GEMINI is the mariner navigation and information device enabled through GAGAN and developed by Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

Talking to TOI, scientist at INCOIS, Nimit Kumar said: “The ocean is not used only for fishing, but for activities that may hurt our national security. Currently we have bandwidth limitation because we are using AAI satellite for the purpose. ISRO, meanwhile, is developing a satellite for us. So, when we get our own dedicated satellite we plan to provide two-way communication through this device in which the Indian boat can give distress signals to coast guard or navy. The security agency will also be able to verify about any boat that it’s Indian or not.”

According to INCOIS sources, this technology will provide digital identity to the Indian boats in the next few years. At present, the only identification mark for Indian boats is the national Tricolour, a system that has been prevalent for the last 200 years.
This digital identification will also put an end to false claims of Indian boats being captured in foreign waters, they said.

Source: TNN

Image Courtesy: Dikshantias