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INTRODUCTION

I, the Chairman, Standing Committee on Information Technology(2002) having been authorised by the Committee to submit the Report on its behalf, present this Thirty Ninth Report on "Communication Convergence Bill, 2001" relating to Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology( Department of Telecommunications)

2. The Communication Convergence Bill, 2001 was referred by the Hon'ble Speaker to the Standing Committee on Information Technology on 31 August, 2001 consideration and report. The Committee invited memoranda on the Bill from the public in general and expert/professionals, organisations/associations representing Industry, Commerce, telecommunications, electronic media and films etc. in particular for which the text of the Bill was hoisted at the website www.parlimentofindia.nic.in. Thereafter, the Committee invited several organisations/Associations/Institutes/Professionals/Experts/Individuals to hear their views on the subject and also sought clarifications in meetings held on 15, 16, 17 October, 8 and 9 November, 4, 5, 11 and 18 December, 2001. The representatives of the Department of Telecommunications, Department of Information Technology and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting deposed before the Committee on 5 October, 18 and 19 December 2001, 8, 9, 31 January and 8 August, 2002 and Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs(Legislative Department) on 8, 9 and 3 I January, 2002.

3. A Sub-Committee consisting of 8 Members viz./Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, Convener, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Balbir K. Punj, K. Rama Mohana Rao, Kartar Singh Duggal, Suresh Pachouri, Sanjay Nirupam and Smt. Sarla. Maheshwari was constituted on 11 March, 2002 to examine the amendments submitted on the Bill and draft the Report on the" Communication Convergence Bill, 2001. The Subcommittee held 9 sittings and finally adopted the draft Report on Communication Convergence Bill, 2001 on 17 September, 2002 which was submitted to the Chairman for placing the same before the Committee. I deeply appreciate the commendable work done by the Members of the Subcommittee and the Convener Sari Paean Camera Banal in scrutinizing the amendments and drafting the Report in a given time frame.

4. For the convenience of some of the Hon'ble Members, who had subsequently been nominated to the Committee, the final consideration of the Draft Report was deferred and an opportunity was given to such Hon'ble members to submit amendments, if any, to the different clauses of the Bill. For their perusal, copies of the proceedings and all relevant papers and documents were supplied to such Hon'ble Members. No fresh amendment, however, was received.

6. The Committee wishes to express thanks to S/Shri M.S.Verma, Chairman and R. R. N. Prasad, Member of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI), A.K.Mittal, President, Indian Telecom Service Association (ITS A), Dilip Chenoy, Sr. Director, CII, Manu Sawhney, Managing Director ESPN Star Sports, Aroon Purie, CEO, India Today Group, Ajay Bahal, Member, CII, Sulias Borkar, Convener, Jan Prasar, R.U.S.Prasad and P.R.Dasgupta, Members of TDSAT, Bhuvan Lal, Exe. Director, Indian Broadcasters Foundation (IBF), P. Mukerjea, CEO, Star India.Pvt. Ltd. India, Mahesh Prasad, President, Sahara T.V., Amitabh Singhal, Secretary and Deepak Maheshwari, Convener, Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), A. M. Joshi(retd.), Wireless Advisor to Govt. of India, Pawan Duggal, advocate, Supreme Court, Daljit Singh and A.R.Sihag, Fellow, Regulatory Studies and Governance Division, Tata Energy Research Institute(TERI), T.V.Ramachandran, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), P.K.Sandell, Chairman and Dilip Ghosh, Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM Communication Convergence Committee, S.C.Khanna, Secretary General, Association of Basic Telecom Operators (ABTO), Ramji Srinivasan, Advocate, Prof. Rekha Jain and Prof. Siddhartha Sinha of Centre for Telecom Policy Studies, IIM Ahmedabad, Col.(Retd.) K.P. Rao,. M.D. Spiderinfotech Pvt. Ltd., Arun Khanna, President, P.Balaji, Vice-president, Anil Khosla, Past President, N,K.Goyal, Secretary General of Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (TEMA), Dr. T.H.Chaudhary, Information Technology and Communication Advisor to Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Sudarshan Narasimhamurthy and Sandeep Raju, Sr. Analyst of Infosys Technologies Ltd., Bangalore, D. N. Nanda, Member (Retd.), Telecom Commission, F.S.Nariman, M.P.(Rajya Sabha), Virat Bhatia, Managing Director, AT & T, Ramesh Bajpai, Executive Director, AMCHAM and Scott Bayman, President & CEO, GE India, Kalyan J. Shah, President, Mahendra A. Shah, Vice- President, and I.N.Kania, Economic Advisor to President of Gujrat Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), R. N. Aggarwal, Wireless Advisor to Govt. of India and Smt. Jagi Mandal panda, Managing Director, Ortel Communications Ltd., for appearing before the Commitee and also furnishing their views in written Memoranda to enlighten the Committee.

7. The Committee also expresses its thanks to the representatives of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Department of Telecommunications and Department of Information Technology), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs(Legislative Department) for tendering evidence before the Committee and placing before it the detailed information that the Committee desired in connection with the examination of the subject.

8. For facility of reference and convenience, the observations and recommendations of the Committee have been printed in bold letters in the body of the Report.