PITRODA TO HEAD GOVT E-INITIATIVES AUTHORITY
Rishi Raj, New Delhi
The Financial Express
After constituting the Unique Identification Database Authority of India with former Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani at the helm, the UPA government is setting up a National Information Highway Authority (NIHA) on similar lines. The new body—which would synergise the government’s various e-activities such as e-governance, e-learning and e-health—will be headed by Sam Pitroda.
Knowledgeable government sources told FE that Pitroda would have Cabinet rank, similar to Nilekani. Through NIHA, the Centre proposes to promote various e-activities, whose penetration has so far been restricted, partly because different ministries and departments currently oversee them. As the apex body for such initiatives, NIHA would clear and monitor all future projects and budgets.
“There’s immense scope to synergise activities in the telecom and IT space, which currently languish either because of the lack of initiative and focus or due to inter-ministerial differences. Once NIHA is in place with someone like Pitroda to head it, it would become an ideal vehicle to promote such initiatives effectively in a time-bound manner,” an official said.
Given the Manmohan Singh administration’s vigorous thrust on the aam aadmi during its second tenure, Pitroda’s job at NIHA would also be to bridge the digital divide: tele-density in urban areas is around 70%, while in rural areas it’s an abysmal 16%. When contacted by FE about the appointment, Pitroda, who is currently in Chicago, remained tight-lipped, saying only, “You will come to know of it officially when it is announced officially.”
Setting up such an apex body is being seen within the government as crucial for the promotion of Internet- and telecom-based activities, especially with 3G and WiMAX spectrum auctions scheduled for later this year. WiMAX, for instance, has the potential to rapidly increase the penetration of broadband, which currently has a miniscule user base of 6.6 million.
Pitroda’s choice is a natural one. Appointed head of the Centre for Development of Telematics in the early eighties by Rajiv Gandhi, he is credited with having ushered in the telecom revolution in the country. India is now among the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world. Pitroda has also headed the National Knowledge Commission
