Wikipedia

Ministry of Communications (India)

For list of ministers, see Minister of Communications (India).

Ministry of Communications is a Central ministry under the Government of India responsible for telecommunications and postal service. It was carved out of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on 19 July 2016.

Ministry of Communications (India)
Branch of Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Ministry overview
Formed19 July 2016; 8 years ago (2016-07-19)
Preceding Ministry
JurisdictionGovernment of India
HeadquartersSanchar Bhawan
20, Ashoka Road, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Annual budget₹123,393 crore (US$15 billion) (2023–24 est.)[1]
Minister responsible
Ministry executives
  • Neeraj Mittal, IAS, Chairman of Telecom Commission and Telecom Secretary
  • Vandita Kaul, IPoS, Posts Secretary
Child agencies
Websitedot.gov.in

It consists of two departments viz. Department of Telecommunications and the Department of Posts.

Formation

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Ministry of Communication and Information Technology was bifurcated into Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.[2]

Department of Telecommunications

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Further information: Department of Telecommunications
See also: Telecommunications in India; Telecommunications Act, 2023; Telecom Regulatory Authority of India; and Indian Telecommunication Service

Also known as the Door Sanchar Vibhag, this department concerns itself with policy, licensing and coordination matters relating to telegraphs, telephones, wireless, data, facsimile and telematic services and other similar forms of communications.

It also looks into the administration of laws with respect to any of the matters specified, namely:

Central Public Sector Undertakings

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R&D Unit

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Specialised Units

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In 2007, in order to distinctly address the issues of Communication Network Security at DOT (HQ) level, consequent to enhancement of FDI limit in Telecom sector from 49% to 74%, a new wing named Security was created in DOT (HQ).

Objectives

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  • e-Government: Providing e-infrastructure for delivery of e-services
  • e-Industry: Promotion of electronics hardware manufacturing and IT-ITeS industry
  • e-Innovation / R&D: Implementation of R&D Framework - Enabling creation of Innovation/ R&D Infrastructure in emerging areas of ICT&E/Establishment of mechanism for R&D translation
  • e-Learning: Providing support for development of e-Skills and Knowledge network
  • e-Security: Securing India's cyber space
  • e-Inclusion: Promoting the use of ICT for more inclusive growth
  • Internet Governance: Enhancing India's role in Global Platforms of Internet Governance.

Telephone Advisory Committees

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Civil Service

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Other Telecommunication Institutes

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Department of Posts

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Further information: India Posts
See also: Post Office Act, 2023

The Department of Post (DoP) which wholly the India Post operates one of the oldest and most extensive mail services in the world. As of 31 March 2017, the Indian Postal Service has 154,965 post offices, of which 139,067 (89.74%) are in rural areas and 15,898 (10.26%) are in urban areas. It has 25,585 departmental PO s and 129,380 ED BPOs. At the time of independence, there were 23,344 post offices, which were primarily in urban areas. Thus the network has registered a sevenfold growth since independence, with the focus of the expansion primarily in rural areas. On average, a post office serves an area of 21.56 sq; km and a population of 7,753 people. This is the most widely distributed post office system in the world.[11] The large numbers are a result of a long tradition of many disparate postal systems which were unified in the Indian Union post-Independence. Owing to this far-flung reach and its presence in remote areas, the Indian postal service is also involved in other services such as small savings banking and financial services, with about 25,464 full-time and 139,040 part-time post offices. It offers a whole range of products under posts, remittance, savings, insurance, and philately. While the Director-General is the head of operations, the Secretary is an adviser to the Minister. Both responsibilities are undertaken by one officer.

The DG is assisted by the Postal Services Board with six members: The six members of the Board hold portfolios of Personnel, Operations, Technology, Postal Life Insurance, Banking, Planning respectively. Shri Ananta Narayan Nanda is the Secretary (Posts) also the Chairman of the Postal Services Board and Ms.Meera Handa is Director General (DG) Posts. Shri.Vineet Pandey(Additional Charge) Additional Director General(Coordination) (ADG), Ms. Arundhaty Ghosh, Member (Operations), Shri. Biswanath Tripathy, Member (Planning), Shri Pradipta Kumar Bisoi, Member (Personnel), Shri Udai Krishna, Member (Banking), Shri Salim Haque, Member (Technology) and Shri. Vineet Pandey, Member (PLI) & Chairman, Investment Board. The national headquarters are at Delhi and functions from Dak Bhavan located at the junction of Parliament Street and Ashoka Road.

The total revenue earned including remuneration for Savings Bank & Savings Certificate work during the year 2016-17 was ₹11,511.00  crores and the amount received from other Ministries/ Departments as Agency charges (recoveries) was ₹730.90 crores and expenditure is ₹24,211.85  crores during 2016–2017 against the previous year expenditure of ₹19,654.67  crores. The increase was mainly due to payment of increased pay & allowances consequent upon implementation of 7th pay commission recommendations, leave encashment during LTC, cost of materials, oil, diesel, revision of service tax on government buildings etc.

Lack of proper investment in infrastructure and technology is the reason for such low revenue. The present top management has already started investing in the latest technology to improve the infrastructure. Quality of service is being improved and new products are being offered to meet the competition.

The field services are managed by Postal Circles—generally conforming to each State—except for the North Eastern States, India has been divided into 22 postal circles, each circle headed by a Chief Postmaster General. Each Circle is further divided into Regions comprising field units, called Divisions, headed by a Postmaster General. Further divided into divisions headed by SSPOs & SPOs. further divisions are divided into Sub Divisions Headed by ASPs & IPS. Other functional units like Circle Stamp Depots, Postal Stores Depots, and Mail Motor Service may exist in the Circles and Regions.

Army Postal Service

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Main article: Army Postal Service (India)

Besides the 23 circles, there is a special Circle called the "Base Circle" to cater to the postal services of the Armed Forces of India. Army Postal Services (APS) is a unique arrangement to take care of the postal requirement of soldiers posted across the country. Department of Posts personnel is commissioned into the army to take care of APS. The Base Circle is headed by an Additional Director General, Army Postal Service, holding a Major general.

Indian Post Office Act, 2023

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Main article: Post Office Act, 2023

The DoP is governed by the Indian Post Office Act, 2023. The act aims to consolidate and amend the law relating to Post Office in India along with expansion and modernization of its services. The Bill also replaces colonial era, Indian Post Office Act of 1898.[12][13]

Modern Services of DoP

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Other than the traditional postage service to keep up with the age, many new services have been introduced by the department:

  • e-Post - Delivery of email through postman where email service is not available
  • e-BillPost - Convenient way to pay bills under one roof
  • Postal Life insurance
  • International money transfers
  • Mutual funds
  • Banking

Civil Services

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Postal Institutions

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  • Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy (RAKNPA), Ghaziabad

List of Ministers

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Main article: Minister of Communications (India)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Union Budget 2021-22" (PDF). indiabudget.gov.in. 2022.
  2. ^ "Centre Bifurcates Communication Ministry; New Ministry For Information Technology", NDTV, 21 July 2016
  3. ^ Centre, National Informatics. "Digital Sansad". Digital Sansad.
  4. ^ "Telecommunications Bill 2023 tabled in Lok Sabha". The Economic Times. 18 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Homepage". www.tec.gov.in.
  6. ^ "Telephone Advisory Committees (TACs)". dot.gov.in. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Raghuram Rajan went ahead with TAC view on interest rate". moneycontrol.com. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  8. ^ "BSNL holds second TAC meeting". tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  9. ^ "BSNL to provide 3G connectivity to Lasalgaon, Satana". Times of India. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Circular" (PDF). dot.gov.in.
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "Post Office Bill, 2023: Why it was brought in, provisions, criticism". 16 December 2023.
  13. ^ "The Post Office Bill, 2023". PRS Legislative Research.
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