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An Introduction

Headquartered in Kolkata, National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) is a subordinate office under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. Pioneer in thematic mapping services since its inception in 1956, NATMO is the only agency of the country catering to the requirements of thematic maps and atlases for different sectors. NATMO is perhaps the largest mapping organisation in the world.

NATMO, initially known as the National Atlas Organisation (NAO), was set up in 1956 under the able leadership of Prof. Shiba Prasad Chattopadhyay, who is considered the doyen of Indian Geography. This organisation is an exceptional contribution by Prof. S.P. Chatterjee for Geography and Geographers of India. Prof. Chatterjee was a visionary. He was clear about the role of geographers in the domain of planning and development of the country. Prof. Chatterjee put forth these thoughts in public much ahead of India's independence. As an avid cartographer, he could convince the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, to sanction a project for compiling and publishing the first-ever 'National Atlas of India'. The newly formed team worked very hard to publish the first ever national atlas of India - Bharat Rashtriya Atlas (in Hindi) in a record time of nine months. It was a commendable achievement for a newly independent country and received much appreciation from a wide spectrum of users.

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