Bimal Jalan

It was Bimal Jalan, a career bureaucrat, who first laid the

framework of privatization of Internet services in India. The ISP policy was

announced as a result of the recommendation of Jalan Committee. Another path

breaking recommendation Jalan made, which was later accepted, was the permission

to government agencies like the railways, state electricity boards and power

grid corporations to create a network to provide bandwidth.

The fact that Jalan committee accepted most of the

suggestions made by the stakeholders goes to show the commitment to the growth

of Internet in India. The most remarkable recommendation, which was accepted by

the committee (which was earlier opposed by DoT), was the permission to ISPs to

approach Software Technology Parks of India for international connectivity as an

alternative to the Internet gateway of the VSNL.