User:Shailesh

Self learner, highly interested in Geospatial development activities using open source tools. Having knowledge of GIS, vector graphics programming and data bases. Involved in teaching Geology, Remote Sensing and GIS since last 30 years. Also involved in software application development related to GIS and geology since last 25 years.

One of the important contribution is development of interactive tutor (TopoTut and OSMTut) for the students to learn about the numbering system of Survey of India Topographical Maps old and new open series maps. Another useful tool developed by him is an interactive software for finding the SOI Topo sheet numbers for Point, Line and Polygon. The line and polygon input can be given as WKT, Shapefile or KML file. The tool gives Toposheet boundaries as an output in shape, bitmap or kml file.

Using open source Web-GIS tools like OpenLayers he has developed a useful Web-GIS application about the information on educational Institutes in India offering courses in Geoinformatics and Geology.

Technical expert for open source Web-GIS related projects at Madhya Pradesh Coucil of Science and Technology (MPCST), Bhopal. He has also developed Biodiversity Atlas of M.P. State India, which is a standalone application developed in Lazarus (object Pascal).

Acted as '''resource person for National Institutes and in many National conferences related to Open Source GIS. Also acted as expert in hands-on training on QGIS for students of Geography, Spatial Information Technology and Civil engineering at various institutes in Indore'''. Promoting the use of open source GIS software and databases by imparting regular training to the post graduate students of Geology of Holkar Science College since last 5 years.

Recently developed a Python plugin TopoSheet Numbers Calculator for QGIS on integration of SOI Toposheet numbering system utility in QGIS Software, which will be useful for researchers and officials from Forest, Watershed, Rural Development/Infrastructure sector, as Survey of India's Topographical-sheets are still most authentic countrywide database available in India to GIS users, but finding the exact reference and number of topo-sheets falling under area of interest is still a concern and consuming time of executors. User will be able to know the Toposheet number and sheet boundaries from the polygon, line or point features. This plugin is available in QGIS official plugins repository.

The software applications developed for students and community described above are available for view and download on website http://shaileshchaure.com .