A curious unwinding

A telecom body, initially conceived to cut bureaucratic red tape, is being disbanded without clear reasons

When Sam Pitroda, the man steering all tech initiatives under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, founded the Telecom Commission, there was much hue and cry in bureaucratic circles. A new seat of power was being created, against the wishes of officials who feared loss of authority in the new sunrise sector of telecom. That was 1989. Mobile telephony was yet to enter India, fixed telephone was only for the privileged and public access to the Internet was still a dream. Against that backdrop, the Telecom Commission was set up with the objective of quick decision-making in the fast-changing universe of telecommunications.

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