Space technology has developed to a great extent in all its 
facets since 1957 when SPUTNIK was put in orbit. However precious 
little has been done in educational curricula for introducing 
suitable course content at undergradate level in all science and 
engineering courses. only hand picked physcists and some 
engineers and scientists are pursuing the advances of space 
technology and some of its spinoffs including remote sensing and 
applications, If developing countries desire to keep pace with 
the advancements in this emerging area and to reap the benefits 
for human excellance, then the present educational system has to 
introduce many changes and novelties. In order to meet the 
immediate and urgent needs of operationalisation, new methods 
such as nonformal training and concept of advanced centres should 
be explored. 
NONFORMAL TRAINING AND ADVANCED CENTRES FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT 
AND TRAINING: 
Keeping in view, the requirement of manpower for operationalisa- 
tion of emerging area of satellite remote sensing in various user 
agencies nonformal training would go a long way in increasing the 
number of trained manpower. Such nonformal training programmes 
can be incorporated in advanced centres of research and 
development in the area of space technology and remote sensing, 
Advanced centres in the area of satellite remote sensing can be 
independenly established at various places or can be located in 
the environment of higher technological institutes, This 
arrangement will facilitate the centre to take advantages of 
higher educational environment as well as organise courses under 
nonformal programmes, In such programmes there will be sufficient 
flexibility for entrance to various courses for trainees coming 
from different user organisations, Course contents can be 
formulated as per requirements of trainees, Duration © Of "a 
training course also depends on the background of trainee 
officers from different organisations, 
TRAINING FACILITIES: 
Under nonformal programme, different types of courses are 
arranged for different durations as follows. 
, 
i) One week duration courses for decision makers and senior 
executives. Such courses play an important role in 
propogating the importance of potentialities of satellite 
remote sensing and its applications to themes such as water 
resources, mineral resources, forestry,  pedology, terrain 
evaluation, landuse and urban development, such courses will 
also stress the importance of geodata base and image 
processing techniques, The course will contain about 15 
expert lectures and 3 practical sessions which will focus 
the potentialities of satellite remote sensing to various 
themes, 
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