Maran's 10-point IT Mantra

New minister lists 10-point agenda for IT implementation, including revamping the telecom policy to reduce the cost to

customers

MTNL and BSNL are off the disinvestments list and the country's telecom policy is in for a revamp. This was day one for the 37-year old Dayanidhi Maran, son of veteran politician late Murasoli Maran, who assumed charge as the minister of communications and information technology of India.

Maran also announced a 10-point agenda for proper IT implementation in various areas in the country. 

Speaking to the media persons after taking charge, Maran said that he would like to revamp the telecom policy so as to take full advantage of the latest technological developments with a view to take country's communication sector forward and provide world-class facilities to the citizens.

Emphasizing on the need to increase the tele-density levels, the minister said that the country needs to go beyond the current tele-density level of seven and all efforts would be made to provide further fillip to the growth of the telecom sector. In doing so, Maran said he would like to see that the digital divide is minimized. He stated that efforts would be made to connect about 50,000 villages that still do not have telephone facilities, preferably during the current year. His other desire: at least big villages must also have access to Internet facilities to reap benefits of tele-agriculture, tele-health and

tele-education. 

The minister said that he would be going through the recent recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on broadband and Internet. Emphasizing on the need for manufacturing telecom equipment within India, Maran said the sector needs encouragement if indigenous manufacturing of the telecom equipment in the country has to be promoted. 



Maran also stated that his endeavor would be to expeditiously implement the national e-governance plan and connect all Internet service providers in India to National Internet exchange. The minister also stressed on the need to develop next generation mobile wireless technologies.

Talking on the outsourcing of skilled manpower, Maran stated that efforts would be made to make India the world's outsourcing hub for skilled manpower in the IT sector. "Towards this end, national institutions would be given encouragement to invest in R&D and bring about world class technologies," he added.

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