GIS (Geographic Information System), remote sensing and GPS (Global Positioning System) have evolved constantly in last few decades and have emerged as significant interdisciplinary technologies, apart from achieving a matured and operational status in India and abroad. These modern technological tools are being increasingly used in a variety of application areas such as Civil Engineering, Geography, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Agriculture, Disaster Mitigation and Management, Archaeology, Forestry, Business, Journalism, Natural Resource Monitoring and Management, Infrastructure Development and Management, Event Mapping (Accidents/ Crime/ Fire/ Utilities), Automated Mapping/ Facility Management, Land Use Mapping and Management, Urban and Regional Planning, among others.

There is an urgent need of technical manpower in the field of GIS/ remote sensing/ GPS keeping in mind the increased awareness about the usefulness and application potentials of GIS/ remote sensing/ GPS coupled with the launching of several programmes of national importance by Government of India like National Natural Resource Management System, National Spatial Data Infrastructure, Urban Resource Information System, National Programme on GPS for Geodynamic Studies, etc.

MNNIT, Allahabad has taken a lead in this field by establishing GIS Cell, and is among few premier technical Institutes of India to offer M.Tech. in GIS and Remote Sensing from academic session 2006-07. GIS Cell has been granted the status equivalent of a Department by the Institute for running postgraduate programmes and undertaking research work in the interdisciplinary field of GIS/ remote sensing/ GPS.

GIS Cell also offers Institute fellowship for carrying research work leading to the award of Ph.D. degree in the field of Geoinformatics (Core and Applications)