News for 'ministry-of-communications'

Apple won't preload Sanchar Saathi app on iPhones: Report

Apple won't preload Sanchar Saathi app on iPhones: Report

Rediff.com2 Dec 2025

Apple does not plan to comply with the mandate to preload mobile handsets with the 'Sanchar Saathi' app and will convey its concerns before the Indian government, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing three unnamed sources.

Nepal bans Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Nepal bans Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Rediff.com4 Sep 2025

Nepal has banned several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The ban affects millions of Nepalese citizens and has drawn criticism from journalists and freedom of expression advocates.

India suspends postal services to US amid new customs rules

India suspends postal services to US amid new customs rules

Rediff.com23 Aug 2025

Under an Executive Order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued above USD 100 will be subject to customs duties in America with effect from August 29 onwards.

19 killed as violence erupts in Nepal over social media ban; HM resigns

19 killed as violence erupts in Nepal over social media ban; HM resigns

Rediff.com8 Sep 2025

At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured on Monday as violent protests by youths rocked the Nepalese capital and certain other areas over the government's decision to ban social media sites, prompting authorities to deploy the army in Kathmandu to control the situation.

Digipin: Mapping Addresses Digitally

Digipin: Mapping Addresses Digitally

Rediff.com16 Jun 2025

Digipin promises to revolutionise location-based services in India with safeguards.

Suspicious late-night radio signals detected near Indo-Bangladesh border

Suspicious late-night radio signals detected near Indo-Bangladesh border

Rediff.com10 Feb 2025

Amateur Ham Radio operators have picked up suspicious late-night radio signals in coded Bengali, Urdu and Arabic along the Indo-Bangladesh border in South Bengal over the last two months, raising concerns about possible extremist activities. The signals, which have been detected between 1 AM and 3 AM, are unusual in their pattern and language usage, according to Ham radio operators, who have reported the matter to authorities. The development comes amidst ongoing unrest in Bangladesh and growing anti-India rhetoric in the neighbouring country. Security agencies are investigating the matter, and the Border Security Force (BSF) has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.

India bans imports, Pak ships entry; suspends postal services

India bans imports, Pak ships entry; suspends postal services

Rediff.com3 May 2025

Main imports from the neighbouring country during April-January 2024-25 included fruits and nuts (USD 0.08 million), certain oil seeds and medicinal plants (USD 0.26 million), and organic chemicals.

Govt hikes Voda stake to 49%, promoters to retain control

Govt hikes Voda stake to 49%, promoters to retain control

Rediff.com31 Mar 2025

The government's stake in Vodafone Idea will more than double to 48.99 per cent as it is set to acquire shares worth Rs 36,950 crore in lieu of outstanding spectrum auction dues, the company said in a regulatory filing on Sunday.

History In Minutes: World's First Airmail Flew Over Kumbh

History In Minutes: World's First Airmail Flew Over Kumbh

Rediff.com24 Feb 2025

In 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet flew the world's first official airmail, carrying over 6,500 letters and postcards, during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, now Prayagraj. The flight, which covered five miles in 13 minutes, marked a significant milestone in aviation and postal history. The mail included letters to Jawaharlal Nehru and King George V, and special commemorative postcards signed by Pequet are now prized collector's items. The event, which coincided with the Kumbh Mela, highlights the intersection of spiritual and technological advancements in India's history.

India AI mission to be key priority for telecom ministry

India AI mission to be key priority for telecom ministry

Rediff.com18 Jun 2024

Many who track the ministry and the technology sector closely believe that the space won't see much impact on the policymaking side, but the gestation time for regulations might get long, as now there could be a wider consensus-building exercise on policy matters under a coalition government.

Full list: Modi's New Ministers And Their Portfolios

Full list: Modi's New Ministers And Their Portfolios

Rediff.com10 Jun 2024

Here is the complete list of ministers in Modi 3.0 and their portfolios:

Govt disallows mobile towers in core tiger habitats

Govt disallows mobile towers in core tiger habitats

Rediff.com6 Feb 2024

The Centre has disallowed installation of mobile towers in core or critical tiger habitats in the country, according to new guidelines by the environment ministry.

Vodafone Idea's Rs 16,133 cr interest dues to be converted into equity

Vodafone Idea's Rs 16,133 cr interest dues to be converted into equity

Rediff.com3 Feb 2023

The government has approved conversion of over Rs 16,133 crore interest dues of debt-ridden Vodafone Idea into equity, the company said in a regulatory filing on Friday. Equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each will be issued to the government at the same price. "Ministry of Communications...passed an order today ie 3 February, 2023...directing the Company to convert the NPV of the interest related to deferment of spectrum auction instalments and AGR Dues into equity shares to be issued to the Government of India," the filing said.

Ready to meet any aggressive designs of China: Army

Ready to meet any aggressive designs of China: Army

Rediff.com7 Feb 2023

The Army on Tuesday said it was prepared to give an appropriate response to any adverse aggressive designs of China in the Ladakh sector, maintaining that the integrity of the country was being ensured through physical patrolling and technical means.

Post office staff swindles Rs 96 cr of public money in saving schemes: CAG

Post office staff swindles Rs 96 cr of public money in saving schemes: CAG

Rediff.com10 Aug 2022

The staff at post offices misappropriated Rs 95.62 crore of public money between November 2002 and September 2021, the Comptroller and Auditor General has said. The money may seem small but it is what common citizen invested in post office savings, the oldest and the largest banking system in the country. The system serves the investment needs of urban and rural clients through schemes such as savings bank, recurring deposits, time deposits, national savings certificates, kisan vikas patras, public provident fund, monthly income account scheme, sukanya samriddhi accounts and senior citizens savings scheme.

R-Day parade: UP wins best tableau award

R-Day parade: UP wins best tableau award

Rediff.com4 Feb 2022

The defence ministry said Maharashtra was voted as the best tableau among the states/union territories in the popular choice category.

Pegasus row: Tharoor-led Parl panel to quiz MHA, MeitY officials

Pegasus row: Tharoor-led Parl panel to quiz MHA, MeitY officials

Rediff.com21 Jul 2021

The agenda for the meeting is 'Evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Communication (Department of Telecommunications) on the subject of 'Citizens' data security and privacy'.

Cyclone Jawad: Ensure safe evacuation of people, Modi tells officials

Cyclone Jawad: Ensure safe evacuation of people, Modi tells officials

Rediff.com2 Dec 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reviewed the preparedness to deal with the situation arising out of the likely formation of Cyclone Jawad that is expected to hit the North Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast and directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated.

Bharti Airtel rejigs corporate structure to sharpen focus on digital

Bharti Airtel rejigs corporate structure to sharpen focus on digital

Rediff.com14 Apr 2021

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced a new corporate structure to sharpen the company's focus on rapidly unfolding digital opportunities while enabling it to unlock value. The move comes at a time when digital is turning out to be a compelling proposition for players in the Indian market, where the use of smartphones and better broadband connectivity has spurred the adoption of a new range of services. Players are positioning themselves beyond the core telephony offerings, as they enhance digital engagement, build future streams of revenue and create brand differentiation, besides redefining themselves as a larger platform of digital services, say market watchers.

Facebook asked to meet Shashi Tharoor-led MPs' panel on September 2

Facebook asked to meet Shashi Tharoor-led MPs' panel on September 2

Rediff.com21 Aug 2020

Besides representatives of Facebook, the committee has asked representatives of the ministry of electronics and information technology to remain present on September 2 to discuss on the subject of "safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space".

Parliamentary panel on IT summons Facebook on September 2

Parliamentary panel on IT summons Facebook on September 2

Rediff.com20 Aug 2020

The political slugfest has been going on between the two, which started after Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook about the report published in Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored applying its hate-speech rules to politicians of the ruling party in India.

Tharoor, BJP MP spar over Parl panel meeting on snooping

Tharoor, BJP MP spar over Parl panel meeting on snooping

Rediff.com30 Jul 2021

The demand for Tharoor's removal comes days after the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology was set to question government officials on the Pegasus spyware issue.

BJP members disrupted Parl panel meet on Pegasus: Tharoor

BJP members disrupted Parl panel meet on Pegasus: Tharoor

Rediff.com8 Aug 2021

Tharoor put the blame for the logjam in Parliament on BJP and accused the saffron party of reducing the "temple of democracy to a rubber stamp for its agenda or worse, a notice board to announce its unilateral decisions".

Sachin on Parl panel on IT, Rekha on panel on PDS

Sachin on Parl panel on IT, Rekha on panel on PDS

Rediff.com19 Jul 2012

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar will now get an opportunity to examine issues related to information technology. The Rajya Sabha MP has been included in the Standing Committee on Information and Technology.

Govt mulls using FB, Twitter to know public views on decision

Govt mulls using FB, Twitter to know public views on decision

Rediff.com23 Sep 2011

With social networking sites Facebook and Twitter getting popular among masses, the Centre is creating a framework for "Citizen Engagement" to use social media for eliciting public views, an official said on Friday.

Centre extends ban on bulk SMS and MMS

Centre extends ban on bulk SMS and MMS

Rediff.com23 Sep 2010

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court's deferment of the Ayodhya verdict, the Centre has extends ban on bulk SMS-es till September 29 on all telecom networks.

Chandigarh gets Web Ratna Award

Chandigarh gets Web Ratna Award

Rediff.com9 Apr 2010

These awards had been constituted by the ministry of communications and information technology, government of India for the first time in order to acknowledge exemplary initiatives/practices of various states/UTs in the realm of e-governance for the dissemination of information and services to the citizens.

Postal department to apply for bank licence: official

Postal department to apply for bank licence: official

Rediff.com27 Jun 2013

The department has a network of more than 150,000 post offices across the country.

Govt bans bulk SMS, MMS ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Govt bans bulk SMS, MMS ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Rediff.com22 Sep 2010

As a measure of abundant caution in the face of the Ayodhya verdict, the government on Wednesday banned bulk SMSes and MMSes for three days with immediate effect.The ministry of communications issued the order in consultation with the ministry of home affairs. The order has been issued to all mobile telecom service providers in the country for "banning all bulk SMSes and MMSes in all service areas with immediate effect for the next 72 hours".

Govt to check RCom's revenue reports

Govt to check RCom's revenue reports

Rediff.com10 Feb 2009

The government has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to speed up its responses on the allegations that Reliance Communications (RCom) has violated revenue reporting norms. The government will also appoint a special auditor to scrutinise RCom's books.

Indian mobile operators win crucial battle

Indian mobile operators win crucial battle

Rediff.com8 Jun 2009

The defence ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology under which the armed forces will immediately release 10 MHz of 3G spectrum and 5 MHz of 2G spectrum.

Mahamasthabhisheka on Amateur Radio

Mahamasthabhisheka on Amateur Radio

Rediff.com13 Jan 2006

The millineum's first Mahamasthabhisheka of the 57-ft granite monolith of Lord Bahubali, atop the Vindhyagiri hills in Karanataka will have a Amateur Radio (HAM) facility to assist organisers in communication.

3G guidelines: DoT rebuts FinMin's charges

3G guidelines: DoT rebuts FinMin's charges

Rediff.com14 Aug 2008

Responding to a communication from Finance Secretary D Subbarao on Wednesday, Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura shot off a strongly worded letter on Thursday, saying: "It is therefore surprising that the ministry of finance has now decided to express its reservations on procedural aspects."

Government nod to nine telecom applicants

Government nod to nine telecom applicants

Rediff.com27 Feb 2008

In a major development, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has cleared applications of nine telecom aspirants and is close to issuing them Letters of Intent. This will be followed by issuance of universal access service licences and allocation of spectrum.

Chinese team rescues Indian sailor

Chinese team rescues Indian sailor

Rediff.com3 Sep 2007

Partsiban Viknesh, a member of the Indian freighter Patalztutra, fell into the sea about 40 nautical miles off Qinhuangdao on Sunday, when the ship was sailing to South Korea

FM urged to revise rates for postal schemes

FM urged to revise rates for postal schemes

Rediff.com15 May 2008

Concerned over the declining trend of the deposits in post office small saving schemes, the Ministry of Communications has requested Finance Minister P Chidambaram to revise the interest rate upward on these small saving schemes. During 2007-08 (till the month of February), these schemes witnessed a negative growth of around 10 per cent with the total amount of withdrawal surpassing the total deposits.

Probe Rs 60,000-crore spectrum scam, says CPI(M)

Probe Rs 60,000-crore spectrum scam, says CPI(M)

Rediff.com6 Nov 2008

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded an enquiry into what it alleges is a Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) financial scam involving the manner in which 2G spectrum was allocated by the ministry of communications.

IT dept officials grill Ringing Bells' management

IT dept officials grill Ringing Bells' management

Rediff.com23 Feb 2016

Online booking started on February 18 but the site soon crashed.

Winds of change at IT ministry

Winds of change at IT ministry

Rediff.com12 Jul 2007

New winds are blowing in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology offices at Sanchar Bhavan.