NEW DELHI, OCT 18: It's official now. The government has issued the notification regarding the constituents of the new ministries most important of which is the Ministry of Information Technology. And with it hordes of confusion is expected to follow.As is clear now, the IT Ministry has been vested with powers and functions exercised till date by the Department of Telecom, Electronics, National Informatics Centre, and Ministry of Commerce.The Department of Electronics and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will now come under the new Ministry of IT. The Ministry of IT has also been endowed with promotion of Internet and E-commerce; promotion of information technology education and IT-based education, Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council.It will also deal with all policy matters relating to IT, promotion of knowledge-based enterprises, development of electronics and coordination amongst its various users, coordination of requirements relating to electronic processingequipment, all matters relating to silicon facility, all matters concerning computer-based information, technology and processing including hardware and software, standardisation of procedures and matters relevant to international bodies such as IFP, IBI and ICC.The allocation of these activities to the new IT Ministry will, however, won't be without complications. For instance, according to sources in the government, the IT Ministry will have two departments - Electronics and NIC with an overall Secretary, P V Jaykrishnan. Electronics was till recently headed by a secretary-rank officer, Ravindra Gupta who has now been made Civil Aviation Secretary. Meanwhile, NIC is headed by a Special Secretary rank officer, N Seshagiri who played an important role during the formulation of the Internet policy. Now the Government will either have to upgrade Seshagiri to the rank of a secretary or see to it that an officer of similar rank is appointed in Electronics.Similarly, promotion of Internet will now comeunder the domain of IT Ministry, meaning that all policy matters in this regard will come within its turf. Earlier, the nodal agency was the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Meaning that though the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) will be under the Department Telecom Services (another newly created division of DoT), but its Internet services will fall within the IT Ministry's purview. The existing licences for Internet services have been given by the DoT. The powers relating to tariffs is with the TRAI. Now exactly how the IT Ministry functions remains to be seen.Commerce and Industry Minister, Murasoli Maran will also now not be a happy man which he was till a few days ago. Maran, a day after assuming office had said that promotion of E-commerce and software export would be his priority as these were till date within the Ministry of Commerce. Sadly for him, these two functions will now be the priority of the IT Ministry. Earlier, policy matters relating to E-commerce was dealt by Commerce Ministryand the implementation was through electronic mail which was with DoT. Now both will be with IT Ministry.The DoT, which has also been bifurcated with a new department called Department of Telecom Services, will oversee execution of works including purchase and acquisition of land to be debited to the capital budget pertaining to telecommunications. It will also deal with all matters other than policy matters relating to telegraphs, telephones, wireless, data, facsimile and telematic services and other like forms of communications. Thus, telecom PSUs will come under it.
