Government Notifies Amended Rules For Appointment Of TRAI Chairman, Spectrum Utilisation
The new section restricts sector experts with professional experience in the field of telecommunication, industry, finance, accountancy, law etc. from becoming the TRAI Chairperson.
The rules regarding the eligibility for the position of Chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India were recently notified by the government of India. The new amendments specify that sector experts from the fields of telecommunication, industry, finance, accounting, and law are no longer eligible to apply for the position of chairperson.
The government has made certain sections of the Act operational since June 26, and some of the rules of those sections have come into effect as of July 5, including the criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, according to an official statement issued on Friday.
"Criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of TRAI: Section 59(b) of the Act will amend Section 4 of the TRAI Act 1997 and prescribe criteria for appointment of Chairperson and Members of TRAI," the statement said.
The new section restricts sector experts with professional experience in the fields of telecommunications, industry, finance, accounting, law, etc. from becoming the TRAI Chairperson.
"Provided that a person who is, or has been, in the service of government shall not be appointed... as a Chairperson unless such person has held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent post in the central government or the state government," the new act states.
The rule, effective July 5, also includes the prohibition of the use of equipment that blocks telecommunications.
"The Acts prescribe, with immediate effect, the use of any equipment that blocks telecommunication, unless permitted by the central government," the statement said.
This will also enable the creation of a regulatory apparatus for the utilisation of spectrum, effective July 5.
"The Act provides a legal framework for efficient utilisation of scarce spectrum through processes such as secondary assignment, sharing, trading, leasing, and surrender of spectrum.
It also enables the utilisation of spectrum in a flexible, liberalised, and technologically neutral manner. It also empowers the central government to establish an enforcement and monitoring mechanism for this purpose," the statement said.
(With Inputs From PTI.)
