The Central government on Monday introduced the Telecommunications Bill 2023 in the Parliament. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the telecom bill in the Lok Sabha.
The proposed bill allows the Centre to take over control, manage or suspend any telecommunication services, networks, or their components linked to such services, citing national security.
Similarly, the proposed bill also provides the government with the authority to instruct that certain messages—sent or received by specific individuals, through particular telecommunication equipment, or related to specific subjects—should not be transmitted to “protect India’s sovereignty, integrity, and national security.”
“On the occurrence of any public emergency, including disaster management, or in the interest of public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government, if satisfied that is necessary or expedient so to do, by notification– (a) take temporary possession of any telecommunication service or telecommunication network from any authorised entity; or (b) provide for appropriate mechanism to ensure that messages of a user or group of users authorised for response and recovery during public emergency are routed on priority,” the draft legislation reads.
The Telecommunications Bill, 2023, aims to replace the 138-year-old Indian Telegraph Act that governs the telecom sector.
The Union Cabinet had cleared the bill in August.
