New Delhi: The Government has notified new rules under the Telecommunication Act, designating only Secretaries to the Government or officials of equivalent rank as eligible for the position of TRAI Chairman. Sections of the Act became operational on June 26, with specific rules taking effect from July 5, as per an official statement.

The updated criteria for appointing the Chairperson and Members of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are detailed in Section 59(b) of the Act, which amends section 4 of the TRAI Act 1997. The new section excludes sector experts with professional experience in fields like telecommunication, industry, finance, accountancy, and law from becoming the TRAI chairperson. It specifies that only individuals who have served as Secretaries to the Government of India or in equivalent posts in the central or state government are eligible for the Chairperson role.

Additionally, effective July 5, the Act prohibits the use of any equipment that blocks telecommunications without central government permission. It also introduces a legal framework for the efficient utilization of spectrum through processes such as secondary assignment, sharing, trading, leasing, and surrender. The Act promotes flexible, liberalized, and technologically neutral spectrum usage and empowers the central government to establish enforcement and monitoring mechanisms. /BI/