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Telecommunications (Administration of Digital Bharat Nidhi) Rules, 2024
Context:
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the ‘Telecommunications (Administration of Digital Bharat Nidhi) Rules, 2024’.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, passed by Parliament in December 2023, received the President’s assent on December 24, 2023]. The DoT enforced various sections of the Act starting on June 26, 2024, with additional sections coming into effect on July 5, 2024.
Guided by the principles of inclusion (Samavesh), security (Suraksha), growth (Vriddhi), and responsiveness (Tvarit), the Act aims to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
About
- These rules are designed to enhance the management and implementation of the ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’ initiative, which was established under Section 24(1) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
- The Universal Service Obligation Fund, initially created under the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, has been renamed ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’, reflecting a strategic shift to address new areas requiring support in line with technological advancements.
Key Provisions of the Rules
- The rules outline the powers and duties of the administrator, who will manage the Digital Bharat Nidhi.
- They also define the criteria for selecting and implementing schemes and projects under the initiative, as well as the process for choosing implementers.
- Funds from the Digital Bharat Nidhi will support projects that enhance telecommunication services in underserved and remote regions, with a focus on marginalised groups, including women, persons with disabilities, and economically and socially disadvantaged communities.
Criteria for Schemes and Projects
Projects funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi must meet one or more specified criteria:
- These include initiatives to provide telecommunication services such as mobile and broadband, secure the necessary equipment, enhance telecom security, improve access and affordability, and introduce next-generation telecom technologies in underserved areas.
- Other priorities include promoting innovation, research, and development; supporting the commercialisation of indigenous technologies and intellectual property; establishing regulatory sandboxes as needed; developing national standards and contributing to their international standardisation; fostering telecommunications start-ups; and encouraging collaboration between academia, research institutes, start-ups, and industry for capacity building and development.
- Projects promoting sustainable and green technologies in the telecom sector are also prioritised, aligning with the goal of achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- Additionally, the rules require any entity receiving funding from the Digital Bharat Nidhi for establishing, operating, maintaining, or expanding a telecommunications network to make these networks/services available on an open and non-discriminatory basis.