The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has notified the ‘Telecommunications (Administration of Digital Bharat Nidhi) Rules, 2024’. These new rules aim to enhance the management and implementation of the ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’ initiative, established under Section 24(1) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The Universal Service Obligation Fund, originally created under the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, has been renamed as ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’. This rebranding reflects a shift towards addressing emerging areas that require support from the fund in response to evolving technological demands.
Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, in a post on X, hailed the new rules as a reflection of the government’s commitment to ensuring equal access to telecom services, thereby strengthening India’s mission of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
“DoT India is proud to share that the first rules of The Telecom Act 2023, ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’ are now in effect. This reflects our commitment to ensure equal access to telecom services and in turn strengthen India’s mission of becoming Viksit Bharat @ 2047,” Scindia said.
Key Provisions of the Rules
The rules outline the powers and responsibilities of the administrator, who will oversee the implementation and management of the Digital Bharat Nidhi. They also set forth the criteria for selecting and executing schemes and projects under the DBN, as well as the process for choosing implementers.
Funds from the Digital Bharat Nidhi will be directed towards projects aimed at enhancing telecommunication services in underserved and remote regions, with a particular focus on marginalized groups, including women, persons with disabilities, and economically and socially disadvantaged sections of society.
Criteria for Schemes and Projects
The rules specify that projects funded under the DBN must meet at least one of several criteria. These include initiatives to provide telecommunication services, such as mobile and broadband, and to secure the necessary equipment for delivering these services. Other priorities include enhancing telecom security, improving access and affordability, and introducing next-generation telecom technologies in underserved rural, remote, and urban areas.
Additional criteria encompass promoting innovation, research, and development; supporting the commercialization of indigenous technologies and associated intellectual property; creating regulatory sandboxes when necessary; developing national standards and contributing to their international standardization; encouraging telecommunications start-ups; and fostering collaboration between academia, research institutes, start-ups, and industry for capacity building and development. Projects that promote sustainable and green technologies in the telecom sector are also prioritized, aligning with the goal of achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The rules further stipulate that any entity receiving funding from the DBN for establishing, operating, maintaining, or expanding a telecommunications network must share and make available such networks/services on an open and non-discriminatory basis.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, was passed by Parliament in December 2023 and received the President’s assent on December 24, 2023, with immediate publication in the official Gazette. On June 21, 2024, the DoT issued a Gazette notification enforcing various sections of the Act as of June 26, 2024. Additional sections were notified on July 4, 2024, to come into effect on July 5, 2024.
Guided by the principles of inclusion (Samavesh), security (Suraksha), growth (Vriddhi), and responsiveness (Tvarit), the Act aims to realize the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). The provisions related to the Digital Bharat Nidhi are contained within Sections 24-26 of Chapter V of the Act.
