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
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Per capita income: Sikkim dethrones UT from Top 3
1 2 Chandigarh: From the third highest per capita income in the country in 2013-14, the city slipped to the fourth position after a gap of a decade in 2023-24. As per the information shared by the ministry of finance in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, the per capita net state domestic product (NSDP) at constant prices of Chandigarh stood at Rs 1,80,615 in 2013-14. It increased at a rate of 42% over a decade to Rs 2,56,912 in 2023-24. Goa, which has the highest per capita income in the country, had a per capita income of Rs 1,88,358, only marginally higher than Chandigarh in 2013-14. However, in the next decade, its per capita income grew at a rate of 89.9%, and in 2023-24, it stood at Rs 3,57,611, leaving Chandigarh far behind. Sikkim, which was way behind Chandigarh in terms of per capita income in 2013-14, grew at a rate of 73.1% between 2013-14 and 2023-24. It increased its per capita income from Rs 1,68,897 to Rs 2,92,339, pushing Chandigarh down the ladder in the race for higher income. Chandigarh continues to perform better than the neighbouring states – Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, in terms of per capita income. However, its growth rate in the decade from 2013-14 to 2023-24 was higher than only Punjab, which saw a growth rate of 39%. "The differences in the increase in per capita income may be attributed to a range of factors such as varying levels of economic development, sectoral composition, structural disparities, and differences in governance mechanisms, among others," said a UT official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Notably, Chandigarh has seen the migration of industry, mainly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) units, over the years to neighbouring Panchkula and Mohali. "Ownership laws, ease of doing business, building bylaws, and land prices are more congenial to growth in these cities. Consequently, industry has moved to these areas over the years," said the official.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dyeing units in Loni under lens for violations get clean chit from NGT
Ghaziabad: The National Green Tribunal has disposed of a complaint filed by a resident against 19 dyeing units in Roop Nagar, Arya Nagar and Tronica City areas of the district for violating environmental norms. The UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) informed the tribunal about compliance and recovery of Rs 17 lakh from the common effluent treatment plant that was earlier found violating environmental norms, including improper functioning. The tribunal bench, comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, observed that the report dated July 17, 2025, filed by UPPCB reveals that an inspection on March 5 and 6, 2025, found that out of 19 units, 14 units were complying, 5 units were closed due to their own reasons, and the 6 MLD CETP at Tronica City, Loni was also found to be complying. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida The report further reveals that in the earlier inspection done in the year 2023, the operation of CETP was found to be unsatisfactory, and after issuing a show cause notice, environmental compensation of Rs 17 lakh was imposed, which has been recovered. The tribunal noted this, directing one of the respondents in the case, UPPCB, to carry out regular check-ups to ascertain that these industrial units and the CETP comply with the environmental norms and, in case of any violation, prompt action is taken. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo This came after an application was filed by resident Varun Gulati in 2023, wherein he raised the grievance against seven dyeing industries situated in Roop Nagar, four industries in Arya Nagar, and eight industries along with one CETP in Tronica City, Loni. The UPPCB, in its report filed before the tribunal, stated that the industries situated at Roop Nagar and Arya Nagar have installed their effluent treatment plants and discharge the waste into Indirapuri Drain to the Yamuna River and are not connected to CETP. The industries situated at Tronica City have their primary effluent treatment plant (PETP), and effluent from their PETP goes to CETP for further treatment. The CETP discharges its waste into Jawli Drain to Hindon River. The report stated that the discharge samples collected from the outlet of the CETP on nine different dates from Jan to March 2025, upon analysis, were found to be in conformity with the prescribed environmental norms. Anuj Kumar Sharma, appearing for respondent numbers 6 to 12, raised an objection to impleading four of the industrial units, three of which were complying and one was closed since 2020. Replying to the objections, the tribunal said, "Though complying as of today, if they committed any past violation, the applicant was justified in impleading them. Even otherwise, we are not directing any action against these respondents."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amid crackdown, SRA collects 1,386cr rent from bldrs in 3 yrs; 646cr still due
Mumbai: In a major crackdown on builders defaulting on payment of rent to slumdwellers, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has collected dues of Rs 1,386 crore in nearly three years—Rs 601 crore under regular schemes, Rs 134 crore under its amnesty scheme and Rs 650 crore under a new circular that requires builders to deposit advance rent for two years with the agency. As per data released by SRA, of the Rs 880-crore rent dues from regular projects, Rs 279 crore is yet to be collected, and the total dues from 23 projects under the amnesty scheme has dropped from Rs 501 crore to Rs 367 crore. The data was released on the heels of the state legislature passing an amendment to Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, that would allow SRA to attach a company's property or that of its directors/partners if it doesn't have sufficient assets, sell it and pay the money as rent to slumdwellers. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai SRA CEO Mahindra Kalyankar said that the amendment would help fact-track SRA schemes and make sure that slumdwellers get their rent on time. "We have given a big push to collect all pending rents from builders so that slumdwellers don't suffer. While SRA is fast-tracking slum redevelopment, we are focusing on slum tenants and making sure that they get their dues and projects are completed on time. We have made several policy interventions for this and recent amendments made are a step in this direction," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think! Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads Learn More Undo Officials said once the amended Act is enforced, govt will have the option of pursuing various legal processes to recover land revenue arrears, including serving notices, attaching properties and even imprisonment of defaulters. "Under Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, govt can attach and sell a defaulter's movable and immovable property to recover dues. In some cases, the bank accounts or lockers of a defaulter may be attached. Right now, SRA can only issue stop-work notices to the builder for not paying rent or stop giving new permissions. There is no deterrent of any kind beyond that and because of this, builders don't pay rent," an official said.
