R S Sharma set to become Trai Chairman

NEW DELHI: Ram Sewak Sharma, who is the current Secretary in the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, is likely to replace Rahul Khullar to become the new Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), a media report said.

However, Voice&Data’s messages to Sharma did n’t elicit any response.

Once the official notification is out, Sharma would formally take charge as the new chairman for a period of three years.

Khullar had taken charge of the regulatory body on May 14, 2012, and demitted office on May 13 this year. In the past, a new chairman has taken over immediately after the incumbent has relinquished office, but this is the first time that the office has remained vacant after the incumbent chairman moved out, the report said.

Sharma holds a Masters degree in mathematics from IIT Kanpur and computer science from University of California.

A search committee, headed by cabinet secretary Ajit Seth, was in-charge of shortlisting and interviewing candidates for the Trai chairman. In all, around seven-eight candidates were interviewed apart from Sharma. They included Bimal Julka (I&B secretary), Rajeev Kher (commerce secretary), RK Mathur (defence secretary), Rakesh Singh (steel secretary) and former telecom secretary, MF Farooqui.