Launch of IPv6

The Government decided to facilitate the use of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) in the country in June 2009.

National IPv6 Deployment Roadmap was released in July 2010. Salient features of this roadmap include action plan for telecom service providers, formation of Task Force for implementation of IPv6, formation of Indian IPv6 Centre for Innovation and development of standards and specifications for IPv6 conformance and interoperability etc.

The steps taken by the Government for transition from Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6 by stakeholders include the following.

         i.            Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) in Department of Telecom is coordinating with all stakeholders for transition from (IPv4) to IPv6.

       ii.            Central Government Ministries/Departments, State Governments and Telecom operators have been advised to procure IPv6 complaint equipments.

      iii.            Five workshops were held in New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata during 2009-10 for creating awareness and working out methodology for transition from (IPv4) to IPv6.

     iv.            IPv6 training program was held in November 2009 in association with Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), Australia.

       v.            Checklist for facilitating (IPv4) to IPv6 transition has been issued by TEC in December 2009.

     vi.            Interactions and meetings are held by TEC with nodal officers from various government organizations and service providers for transition to IPv6.

    vii.            It has been decided to form a Task Force on IPv6 implementation with three tier structure having oversight committee, steering committee and nine working groups.

Growth of Telecom Sector

The Union Government has taken various steps in line with strategy to spur Telecom Sector Growth.  These are:

• Setting up of an independent regulatory body in 1997 – the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), to assure investors that the sector would be regulated in a balanced and fair manner. Further changes in the regulatory system took place with the TRAI Act of 2000 that aimed at restoring functional clarity and improving regulatory quality. TRAI has come out with various regulations and directions, which included Telecom Mobile Number Portability regulation 2009, Telecom Tariff order 2009 as well as orders regarding Quality of Service etc.
• The Universal Service Obligation fund has been introduced in 2003 as a mechanism for transparent cross subsidization of universal access in telecom sector. The fund was to be collected through a 5 percent levy on the adjusted gross revenue of all telecom operators.
• Opening up of its telecom sector to foreign investors up to 100 percent holding in manufacturing of telecom equipment, internet services, and infrastructure providers (e-mail and voice mail), 74 percent in radio-paging services, internet (international gateways) and 49 percent in national long distance, basic telephone, cellular mobile, and other value added service.
• Decision of not capping on the number of access providers in any service area. 122 new UAS licenses were granted in 2008 to 17 companies in 22 service areas for benefit of consumers by increased competition.
• Permission of dual technology spectrum under the same UAS/CMTS licence.
• Decision to introduce Mobile Number Portability (MNP), that will alow susbscribers to retain their existing numbers while switching over from one service provider to another.
• With a view to regulate unsolicited calls from telemarketers, a regulation has been implemented whereby “National DO not call Registry” has been put in place.
• Conclusion of Auction of 3G/BWA Spectrum in 22 circles for Telecom Service Providers. Rollouts expected by the end of 2010.
• Target has been set to achieve 40% rural teledensity by 2012.
• Target has further been set to achieve 20 million Broadband connections by end of 2010.
• Broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats by 2012.

Child Labour

As per 2001 census, the total number of children working in various occupations including hazardous occupations in the Country was 1.26 core. As a result of various welfare measures taken by the Union Government and the State Governments coupled with stricter enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 the number of working children has declined to 90.75 lakh as estimated by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2004-05.

The Government of India has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for eradication of child labour as follows:

            i. A legislative action plan in form of Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986.

            ii. Project-based action plan in areas of high concentration of Child Labour under National Child Labour Project Scheme.

            iii. Focus on general development programmes for the benefit of the families of Child Labour.

National Skill Development Mission

Government has launched a National Skill Development Mission consisting of following three institutions:

Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development-under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister, for policy direction and review of spectrum of skill development efforts in country.

            National Skill Development Coordination Board-under the chairmanship of Dy. Chairman Planning Commission to enumerate strategies to implement the decisions of PM’s council.

          National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a non-profit company under the Companies Act, 1956. The corporation is being funded by trust “National Skill Development Fund” to which the Government has contributed a sum of Rs.995.10 crores. The corporation is expected to mobilize about Rs.15, 000 crores from other governments, public sector entities, private sector, bilateral and multilateral sources. The corporation is expected to meet the skill training requirements of the labour market including that of unorganized sector.                                                                                                                                   

National Policy on Skill Development (NPSD) approved by the Government has set a target for skilling 500 million persons by the year 2022. Concerned central Ministries will involve respective departments of state Governments and other stake holders to achieve the target. The details of target for different Ministries/Departments is at Annex-I. MoL&E would train 100 million and the same is planned to be achieved through the following schemes:

Name of the Scheme                      Target  

Craftsmen Training Scheme           29.4 mn

Skill Development Centres             57.2 mn

Apprenticeship Training Scheme   05.4 mn

Skill Development Initiatives

through MES                                   11.0 mn

DGE&T field institutes                     0.5 mn

Total                                              103.5 mn

NOTE: Distribution amongst ministries/Departments has been kept higher that 500 millions.

The objective of NSDC is to fulfill the growing need for skilled manpower in the country, mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development.

The salient features of NSDC are:

1.      Upgrade skills of work force through significant industry involvement especially for underprivileged sections of society and backward regions of the country.

2.      Enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives for skill development through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models.

3.      Prioritize initiatives that can have a multiplier or catalytic effect.

            NSDC has a target of skilling / upskilling 150 mn people by the year 2022    and  so far 3 proposals have been cleared to train 10,39,000 persons in next 10 years.

National Skill Development Fund NSDF (Trust) has allocated Rs.200 Crores to NSDC during FY 2009-10. NSDC has, so far released Rs 13.05 crores for

funding of following three  proposals. During financial year 2009-10, a sum of Rs 7.15 crore was released. Rs 3.69 crores was released to Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council / Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery, Jaipur, Rajasthan and Rs. 3.46 crore was released  to BASIX Academy for Building Life Long Employability Limited  a company having  Pan-India presence.

  During the current financial year 2010-11, Rs.5.90 Crore has been released to Gram Tarang Employability Training Services Private Limited, Orissa.   NSDC does not release funds to State governments.

The objective of NSDC is to skill/ upskill 150 million people in India including persons from rural areas by the year 2022, mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development programmes and providing viability gap funding. NSDC would cover skills from the organized as well as from the un-organized sector.

NSDC will play a significant enabling role in some of essential support services like curriculum, faculty and their training, standards and quality assurance, technology platforms, student placement mechanisms and setting up standards and accreditation systems in partnership with industry associations. All these with participation of industry would improve quality of human resources.

National Innovation Council to be set up Sam Pitroda to Chair the Council

Prime Minister has approved the setting up of a National Innovation Council to prepare a road map for the Decade of Innovation ¬2010-2020. The National Innovation Council would be headed by Shri Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations.

The Council has been given the mandate to evolve an Indian model of innovation focusing on inclusive growth and creating an appropriate eco¬system conducive to fostedng inclusive innovation. It will delineate appropriate policy initiatives within the government required to spur innovation. It will also promote the setting up of Sectoral Innovation Councils and State Innovation Councils.

While encouraging all important sectors of the economy to innovate, it will take special efforts to facilitate innovation by micro small and medium enterprises. Innovation in public services delivery and encouraging multi-disciplinary and globally competitive approaches for innovations would be focused on by the Council.