Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumNational Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

The Telecommunications Act, 2023 overhauled the century-old legal framework governing communication networks and spectrum management in India. Which of the following correctly describes a key statutory reform introduced by this Act?

  1. A
    It repealed the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 to unify digital governance under a single tribunal.
  2. It established the Digital Bharat Nidhi by restructuring and expanding the mandate of the Universal Service Obligation Fund to support connectivity and indigenous telecom research.Answer
  3. C
    It completely barred the administrative allocation of radio spectrum, mandating open competitive bidding for all space communications and defense operations.
  4. D
    It dissolved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal and transferred original civil dispute adjudication directly to the High Courts.

Answer

The establishment of the Digital Bharat Nidhi by restructuring the Universal Service Obligation Fund to fund connectivity, indigenous technologies, and telecom research.
Under Section 24 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) was renamed and reconstituted as the Digital Bharat Nidhi. In addition to expanding telecom services to underserved rural, remote, and urban areas, the Digital Bharat Nidhi is statutorily authorized to support research and development of telecom services, technologies, pilot projects, and indigenous manufacturing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the statutory objectives and fund mechanisms introduced under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The Act replaces the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) created under the 1885 Act with the 'Digital Bharat Nidhi'.
Identifying the renamed and expanded fund mechanism is essential to understanding new-age digital governance funding in India.
2
Evaluate the repeal provisions and regulatory bodies under the new legislation.
The Act repeals the Indian Telegraph Act (1885) and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act (1933), while preserving the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the TDSAT appellate structure.
Prevents confusing colonial-era telecom laws with modern IT and regulatory statutes.
3
Examine the spectrum allocation rules under the First Schedule of the Act.
Spectrum is assigned primarily via auction, but administrative assignment is explicitly authorized for satellite broadband, national security, and disaster management.
Confirms that administrative allocation is retained for strategic and satellite use cases.

Key Concept

Statutory provisions, fund architecture, and spectrum governance reforms under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

National Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

More questions from this topic