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Telecom engg centre may get autonomy

G. Rambabu

NEW DELHI, July 10

THE Government proposes to convert the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) - the backbone of the Communications Ministry in the pre-liberalisation era - into an autonomous institute vested with the authority to deal with all standards relating to informatio n, communications and entertainment electronics.

According to official sources, the new institute - Information Communications & Entertainment Standards Institute of India (ICESI) is being considered to face the challenges arising out of convergence.

``The urgency for redefining its role and organisational structure arose from the fact that the benefits for the reformed and reorganised TEC should be available to the entire community rather than limiting it to the Government,'' they said.

The need for change due to the convergence phenomena has been felt at the three levels of technology, industry, service and markets resulting in horizontal and vertical integration.

Technological forecasting, assessment and planning are the areas where the new ICESI should play a role. The new institute will develop and adopt technologies in protection of intellectual property rights in digital networks, cyber security and cyber cri mes. The Institute is sought to be evolved as a truly futuristic organisation, they said.

They pointed out that the Committee on the Reorganisation of TEC, Chaired by Dr R.A. Mashelkar, Director General CSIR, in its draft report to DoT has recommended as such.

The report notes that ``TEC may be converted into an institute with full autonomy on the pattern of the S&T organisations with the benefit of a flexible complementary scheme as is available to the scientists in organisations such as CSIR and DRDO. It wil l deal with all standards related to information, communications and entertainment electronics.''

It further recommends that there will be three wings of the institute which will not only standardise the technology, service and quality in the individual field but will also work as a development centre.

As per the proposal, the ICESI shall be headed by a Director General who will be supported by three deputy Director Generals in charge of respective technical services and quality divisions.

The members of the governing body would include DoT, Ministry of IT, Department of Expenditure and the Ministry of I&B. The internal and external stakeholders without voting powers will include BSNL and all associations related to communications.

``The governing structure of ICESI and its operational strategies shall be evolved on privatisation (telecom sector) and public-private partnerships. The private sector and BSNL shall play a proactive role in the governing body of the institute,'' it ha s said.

In view of this the funding of the institute, for the first five-year period could be provided through levying of an annual cess from the licensed service providers at 0.5 per cent of the gross revenue earned by them.

Business plans for five years should be drawn for the institute, which ``will be so appropriately reformed and restructured that ICESI will emerge as a vibrant self-sustaining and independent organisation reaching global standards of performance and deli very,'' it notes.

At present, the TEC meets the requirements of the Government\BSNL\MTNL in setting up standards, specifications, generic requirements, interface requirements, type approval certificates, interface approvals etc. It helps the Government in the procurement of telecom equipment and material. It was also helping in the running of the telecom services when the Government was the sole service provider.