Centre notifies new Telecommunications Act provisions, focuses on spectrum utilisation

India's Telecommunications Landscape Undergoes Major Shift

India's new Telecommunications Act, 2023, replaces old laws, addressing advancements in the telecom sector. The Act allows government control of telecom services in emergencies, raising concerns about potential misuse of power. Aug 31, 2024
Covid symptoms

India Braces for Potential Covid-19 Outbreak Amid Global Surge

India is being urged to prepare for a potential Covid-19 outbreak due to rising global cases. The recent surge in India is attributed to the KP variants, which belong to the Omicron lineage. Several states in India are seeing an increase in Covid cases, with the highly transmissible KP.1 and KP.2 strains responsible for the surge Aug 30, 2024
Online Passport Portal shut for 5 days for maintenance

Online Passport Portal closed for scheduled 5-Day Maintenance

The Indian government has declared that the online portal for passport applications will be temporarily unavailable for five days. The shutdown, which begins on August 29, 2024, and ends on September 2, 2024, is due to a routine maintenance exercise aimed at enhancing system performance and ensuring a smoother user experience in the future. Aug 29, 2024
Cabinet approves 730 private FM radio channels in 234 new cities and towns

Government Greenlights 730 New FM Channels in Strategic Expansion

In a significant move to expand the reach of FM radio broadcasting across India, the government has given the green light for the roll-out of 730 private FM radio channels in 234 new cities and towns. This decision, announced on August 28, 2024, is part of the third batch of auctions under the 'Private FM Radio Phase III Policy'. Aug 28, 2024
Mobile spam: TRAI issues consultation paper, seeks public comment by Sep 25

TRAI Seeks Public Input on Tackling Spam Calls and Messages

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper seeking public comments. The paper, titled Review of the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018), was implemented in February 2019 to address the issue of unwanted promotional calls and messages. The public has been invited to submit their comments by September 25. Aug 28, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

PMJDY: A Decade of Financial Inclusion in India

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme, launched in 2014, has integrated over 53.14 crore economically marginalized individuals into mainstream banking. The scheme has seen a 3.6-fold growth in accounts, providing access to formal banking services and promoting financial inclusion. The PMJDY scheme has also promoted gender equality and rural inclusion, with 67% of accounts opened in rural or semi-urban areas and 55% by women. The success of PMJDY in promoting financial inclusion in India is comparable to similar initiatives globally, like M-Pesa in Kenya and Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Aug 28, 2024