The sixth Spatial Thinking Workshop held at DSERT, Bengaluru, conducted by BVIEER on 25th November 2025, brought together 55 teacher educators from District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs) and Colleges of Teacher Education ( CTEs) across Karnataka to build capacity in spatial thinking and geospatial education
The programme opened with an insightful inaugural session led by Dr. M. Mohanty, Head of the National Geospatial Programme (NGP), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, who served as Chief Guest. His keynote address emphasised the growing importance of spatial thinking for a data-driven future, highlighting the need to embed geospatial awareness and spatial reasoning in India’s education system. Prof. Dr. Shamita Kumar, Project Director of PMU–DST and Principal of BVIEER, discussed the role of spatial thinking in strengthening inquiry-based and experiential learning, aligning with NEP 2020. Mrs Girija, Deputy Director, DSERT Karnataka assured support and commitment to foster geospatial education.
During the workshop, educators explored the fundamentals of spatial thinking, spatial data, and mapping basics, with a focus on making geospatial tools accessible for teachers. Workshop Facilitators from BVIEER, Dr Madhurima Dey and Ms Samruddhi Patwardhan, worked to simplify concepts and demonstrated hands-on activities and exercises showing how spatial thinking enhances student observation, questioning, critical analysis, and problem-solving, making learning more engaging and meaningful.
At the valedictory session , Dr. Jagdeeshwar Rao, Joint Director, DSERT Karnataka supported by Assistant Director, Mrs. Shivamma reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening geospatial capacity in teacher education. Across the sessions, one insight emerged strongly: when teachers learn to view the world spatially, students naturally develop stronger analytical and inquiry skills—competencies essential for 21st-century education.
This workshop directly supports the goals of the National Geospatial Policy 2022, which calls for geospatial knowledge and capacity building across education sectors. The workshop underscores the powerful role of teacher professional development in shaping a future-ready, inquiry-driven learning ecosystem and advancing the state’s leadership in geospatial education.