NEW DELHI: Newly appointed Union minister of communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, stressed the pivotal role of the telecom division and India Post on both global and local stages as he assumed office on Tuesday.The 53-year-old son of the late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia has a significant history in Indian politics, having served as the civil aviation minister in the previous Modi cabinet since 2021. His new role marks a return to a familiar department, as Scindia previously served as the minister of state for communications under the UPA government from 2007 to 2009.”It is a little bit like coming full circle for me because I worked as a junior minister in this department in 2007-2009, and therefore for me, this is also a department with which I’ve had tremendous emotional ties,” Scindia said, reflecting on his past experiences. Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity, Scindia highlighted the advancements made under the current administration and pledged to uphold the expectations of the Prime Minister and the people of India.”It is my honour that the Prime Minister has given me the responsibility of the communications ministry. Under his leadership, there has been a revolution in this department. I vow to persevere and put in my best to ensure that we deliver according to the aspirations of the Prime Minister as well as 140 crore people of India,” Scindia said during his inaugural speech.— ANI (@ANI) Scindia chose not to outline immediate priorities, opting instead to first assess the department’s current state. However, he faces significant challenges, including overseeing India’s 5G spectrum auction set to commence on June 25. This auction is a critical event in the telecom sector, drawing considerable attention.Besides the spectrum auction, where over Rs 96,000 crore worth of airwaves will be on the block, Scindia will also have to prioritise issues like satellite broadband services, security clearance for Elon Musk-led Startlink and formulate rules for the new Telecommunications Act.Another major responsibility for Scindia will be maintaining the structure of India’s three-private player telecom market and ensuring the survival of the financially troubled Vodafone Idea, where the government holds the largest stake.Scinida will have to set the ball rolling on a 100-day agenda that would outline clear priority areas, key deliverables, roadmaps and targets for the telecom sector.Scindia, who takes over the baton from Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, inherits a sector with improved financial metrics, lower litigations, and lesser uncertainty following the disposal of several cases in courts.Scindia’s ministerial journey started as Minister of State for telecom, Post and IT under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led UPA-1 regime. He was instrumental in driving post office modernisation with the Project Arrow scheme.As a minister in the Modi 3.0 government, Scindia will have the challenge of reviving state-run telecom firm BSNL and settling the debt issues of MTNL.The new minister also has the challenge of resolving the threat posed by fraudulent calls and the persistent issue of pesky calls.Scindia, who was the aviation minister in the previous Modi government, won from Guna in Madhya Pradesh by more than 5.40 lakh votes.(With inputs from agencies)
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