INDIA ELECTED AS VICE-PRESIDENT OF SPECIAL GROUP AT ITU TO OVERSEE PREPARATIONS OF WORLD SUMMIT IN 2003

WORLD SEEKS BIGGER ASSOCIATION WITH INDIA IN TELECOM – SUMITRA MAHAJAN

PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE OF ITU BEGINS AT MARRAKESH

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India has been elected as one of the two Vice-Presidents of a Special Group to examine, among other items, the forthcoming "World Summit of Information Societies"(WSIS) to be held in Geneva and Tunisia in 2003 and 2005 respectively. This was announced at the Plenipotentiary Conference of International Telecommunication Union at Marrakesh in Morocco. The Special Group from WSIS is an important body that will examine, co-ordinate and lay the ground work for the two stage World Summit.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Communications&IT, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan said that many countries specially of the SAARC Region were keen to strengthen their association with India in the Telecom Sector. Elaborating further, Smt. Mahajan called upon the nations to incorporate a gender component in telecom related programmes. Accessibility and connectivity empowered women to participate fully in all walks of life. This was more so in the current context of globalisation and existing knowledge economies.

The Conference is attended by over 160 countries and the Indian Delegation is led by Smt. Sumitra Mahajan. The Plenipotentiary Conference held once in four years, monitors, reviews and sets standards and procedures for telecom regulated regulatory framework. With telecom now taking quantum jumps both in size and standards, the Conference is being seen as a significant meet by the world telecom sector.