Reimagine connectivity not as commodity but as constitutional commitment: Union minister Jyotiraditya to telcos
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Telecom service providers must rethink providing connectivity not as a commodity but as a constitutional commitment keeping in mind key factors like affordability, availability, accessibility with blazing data speeds, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. While speaking at an event organised by internet service providers body ISPAI and government-backed Nixi, the minister said five days ago India has moved from being the 5th largest economy in the world to become the 4th largest, and he takes pride in representing telecom which is growing at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 to 16 per cent as well as with the CAGR of 12-13 per cent in northeast."You are the engineers of equity. You are the builders of bridges. And you are the keepers of the digital flame of India. Reimagine connectivity not necessarily as a commodity but a constitutional commitment," the minister said.He asked telecom operators and internet service providers (ISP) to follow six foundational pillars for connectivity, which are affordability, availability, accessibility, quality, safety and focus on emerging technologies such as AI and IoT.The minister said that in India, where 1 GB of data used to cost Rs 287, at present costs only about Rs 9."At 11 cents, India is the cheapest data provider in the world today. The average global cost is USD 2.59," Scindia said.He said that if data is liquid gold or black oil, then India is the home of that liquid gold and black oil."There is no reason why India should not be the data capital of the world. The prime minister has very clearly said that if this is India's century, and it truly is India's century, India has grown in one decade from the 11th largest economy in the world to the 5th largest economy in the world," the minister said.He asked internet service providers to leverage rural broadband project Bharatnet to expand connectivity across the country.The minister said that the National Broadband Mission with Rs 1,39,000 crore worth of investment is the largest governmental investment in the world that will provide a network to each and every village across the length and breadth of the country."The prime minister has resolved that through NBM 2.0, we must connect every single village, but not only every single village, we must connect every single school. And we must connect every single hospital. Because it is our fiduciary responsibility," Scindia said.He said NBM 2.0 will ensure 95 per cent uptime of the broadband network and a minimum of 100 Mbps speed across the whole network.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
24 minutes ago
- United News of India
Negi accuses BJP of insulting national flag
Shimla, Jul 27(UNI) Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has strongly criticized BJP leaders and a few local businessmen in Thunag for allegedly insulting the national flag during a protest against the government's decision to shift the Horticulture College from Thunag to a safer location. Negi defended the Congress government's move to relocate the college, citing the recent flash floods and the risk to students' lives. "It is wrong to run a college in a disaster-prone area just to protect business interests of a few people," he said, adding that students living in rented homes in Thunag had themselves requested relocation due to repeated disasters in 2023 and 2024. The Minister said that BJP workers and a handful of shopkeepers tried to block the state government's decision and even created a scene during his visit to the area. 'They surrounded my vehicle, threw black cloths and a slipper-like object at it, and disrespected the tricolour mounted on the car,' he alleged. 'This act amounts to treason,' he added. Negi also questioned the BJP's silence over the incomplete infrastructure of the college. "Out of the total Rs 270 crore sanctioned, only Rs 10 crore was spent when BJP was in power," he claimed. He said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is personally monitoring the situation and relief work is going on without any resistance from the common people. 'Only some BJP leaders and businessmen are trying to politicize the issue,' Negi said. Negi further targeted BJP leader Dr. Rajeev Bindal, saying, 'The real shameful act is the insult of the national flag, not the relocation of the college meant to save lives.' The college was shifted after discussions with the university, as there was no suitable vacant land in the Saraj area, the Minister clarified. UNI ML RKM
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jhalawar tragedy: Govt fast-tracks 169cr plan to repair state schools
Jaipur: Following the school building collapse in Jhalawar that killed seven children and injured 21, the state administration has approved Rs 169.5 crore for major repair works in 1,936 govt schools. On Saturday, education minister Madan Dilawar said, "State govt has approved Rs 169.5 crore for major repair works in 1,936 govt schools." Officials from the minister's team said the amount was approved as per the current year's budget announcement. Speaking on the timing of the approval, Satish Gupta, the minister's officer on special duty (OSD), said, "The file was already in process, and now the approval has been received from the finance department. Orders will also be issued soon on this." Dilawar could not be reached for comments. Sources said approvals for major repair works were "in process" for the past two months but were fast-tracked only after the accident in Jhalawar. On Sunday, following a high-level meeting chaired by the education minister, a new proposal of Rs 150 crore was announced for repair works in 7,500 schools in 170 tehsils. The financial contribution, which will come from the Disaster Management Fund, will be used for the repair of schools damaged due to the monsoon rains. The department has also asked its officials to conduct field inspections of govt schools across the state and submit a report on the condition of the buildings by July 30.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Robust tourism helps excise dept boost revenue by 45% since 2022
Panaji : Goa's excise department has seen a significant jump in revenue, with a 45% increase over the last four financial years. The department raked in Rs 947.9 crore in 2024-25, as against Rs 650 crore in 2021-22. This increase is attributed to robust tourist footfalls and enforcement by the department. Goa's excise collection shot up to Rs 865 crore in 2022-23 due to several measures implemented by the excise department. In 2023-24, the department's revenue increased to Rs 900.2 crore. Goa's excise revenue is largely driven by tourists who either purchase alcohol from retail stores or consume liquor at restaurants and hotels. Alcohol sales are also driven by events in the state. Data shared with the legislative assembly also shows that Rs 4.1 crore is owed to the department by 242 retail outlets, bars and alcohol manufacturers since 2018. Of the 242 defaulters, most are from Tiswadi and Salcete talukas. While some of the licence holders have come forward and cleared their dues, the department has been forced to issue notices to most of the excise licence holders to recover what is owed. Those outlets which have ignored notices and reminders to pay the annual audit fees risk having their licences being cancelledwith the department already proposing to cancel some licences">, said officials. In the Goa budget 2023-24, the excise duty on high-end liquor was reduced and duty on other categories of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) was marginally increased to shore up revenues. The department said that while no tax refund or waiver has been granted under the Excise Duty Act, applicants have been offered an adjustment of excise duty only in cases where permits are cancelled and the said excise duty paid for liquor goods in these cancelled permits are adjusted in their future permits.
