About the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

Established in 1976, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is a premier institute of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, for research and capacity building for urban sector in India. NIUA’s broad objective is to bridge the gap between research and practice on issues related to urbanisation. For more than 45 years now, NIUA has been the vanguard for contributing to and building the urban narrative for a fast-evolving urban India. The Institute has been actively working on bringing forth key areas of concern for urban India in order to build the discourse at various scales. It has utilised its competencies in research, knowledge management, policy advocacy and capacity building to address urban challenges and continuously strive to develop sustainable, inclusive and productive urban ecosystems in the country.

About the National geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations

NAKSHA is spearheaded by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development. The core objective of this programme is to create land records in urban areas, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and up-to-date information. This will be piloted in more than 150 cities across the country, with a focus on empowering urban citizens, improving ease of living, and facilitating better urban planning.

Job Description

Key Responsibility Areas

• Lead end-to-end execution of NAKSHA, ensuring all activities meet programme objectives.
• Advise DoLR leadership on policy and strategy using geospatial evidence.
• Oversee technical standards for GNSS, photogrammetry/LiDAR, and LADM-compliant parcel mapping.
• Coordinate with other Ministries and states to harmonise data standards and APIs.
• Establish and maintain a geospatial MIS dashboard for real-time progress and accuracy tracking.
• Prepare analytical reports, policy briefs, and strategic notes on programme performance.
• Design and deliver training on modern survey/GIS techniques for officials and stakeholders.
• Capture lessons learned and disseminate best practices through workshops and online portals.
• Forge partnerships with academia, Survey of India, NRSC, and geospatial industry bodies.
• Organize technical conclaves and industry summits to drive innovation and visibility.
• Pilot emerging technologies (AI change detection, 3-D cadastre, blockchain registers) for scale-up.
• Perform additional duties assigned by senior DoLR/MoRD officers to ensure successful rollout.
• Execute other works entrusted by senior officers of the Department/ Ministry.

Work Experience Required

• Minimum 15 years’ combined experience in large-scale government programmes, with at least 5 years in geospatial/ land survey domains (GNSS, photogrammetry, LiDAR, or cadastral GIS).
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of complex, multi-state projects.
• Proven ability to translate geospatial data into policy and operational decisions.
• Strong leadership in inter-agency coordination, stakeholder management, and capacity building.
• Excellent verbal communication, presentation and policy-writing skills, including the ability to convey technical GIS concepts to non- technical audiences.

Educational Qualifications Required

• Master’s degree in Planning, Public Policy, Urban Management, Geospatial Science, Remote Sensing, Geomatics Engineering, GIS, or related discipline.
• Certification or advanced coursework in geospatial technologies/ GNSS/RTK surveying, LiDAR/ photogrammetry processing, and land administration standards).