Please send in your reactions and suggestions to the report. We would forward them to Shri Fali S Nariman, the Convenor. 

Sudesh Prasad

The Nariman Report on Convergence, submitted to the Group on Telecom and IT Convergence recently is the precursor to the drafting of the Communication Bill 2000. It is slated to be passed in the coming winter session of the parliament. The report has outlined the need of integrating the telecom and broadcasting licensing and regulation under a single independent and autonomous super regulator called Communication Commission of India. The Commission is supposed to interact with the various sectors of the industry to help set standards and formulate regulatory norms both for Content and Carriage of Information. The Commission will also manage the contentious area of spectrum. It will have the power to advance, facilitate, and encourage the growth of technological and social development. The report emphasizes the importance of self-regulation, flexibility of law with no political interference of any sort. It has suggested the appointment of highly qualified and independent persons of integrity as members of the Commission. 

The report's thrust is to "Promote the national objective of a powerful infrastructure for an information based society, and effort has to be on Convergence of telecommunication including data communication and broadcasting activities since technological changes these in these areas are tending increasingly to overlap and converge. At the same time, Convergence in the administrative and regulatory aspect is also desirable."