Saina Nehwal has won again! She won the Hong Kong Open Women’s Singles defeating the Asian Games Gold Medalist Wang Shixian making the nation proud. Congratulations Saina!

Dear Friends,

I am on organisational tours to Ahmedabad and Bhopal for two days. Hence no new post in the blog for 11th & 12th December. Excuse me for the break.

Yours Sincerely,

V.A.N.Namboodiri

As per the assurance of the Secretary, DOT during the strike discussion, the cabinet note returned to DOT for clarifications has been resubmitted after clarifications and approval by the Communications Minister. It is expected to be placed in the next meeting of the cabinet for approval.

The pat down search of Indian Ambassador to US, Ms. Meera Shankar by the US Airport authorities is an insult to India. Out of 30 passengers she alone was selected, taken to a room and searched by patting down her entire body, probably because she was wearing a sari. This is not the first time that Indian Ministers and Diplomats have been similarly insulted. India should retaliate in a suitable manner so that this kind of insult does not recur again. Why can’t the Government practice the same on US Diplomats and dignitaries? But whether the Government of India trying to become the strategic partner of imperialist US dare to do that ?

The success in the Parliament elections have made the Trinamul Maoist combine to murder CPI(M) cadres without any remorse. 319 comrades have been killed since the Lok Sabha elections. This is nothing but the fascist method of eliminating the rivals.

But the people will revolt and put an end to this barbaric actions. Protest against these inhuman murders of active party workers and innocent people.

Communications & IT Minister Kapil Sibal announced yesterday that the Government has appointed retired Supreme Court Justice Shivaraj V.Patil as One Man Commission to examine the processes and procedures followed by DOT in the allocations of Licences and Spectrum from 2001-2009.  This is only but a diversionary tactics and eye wash.

The opposition parties have stated that they will move a privilege motion against this announcement outside, when the Parliament is in session. Instead of accepting the demand for a JPC probe, the government is simply trying to divert the issue; but they are not going to succeed.

HIGHLIGHTS

v     In Wireless (GSM + CDMA) segment, BSNL registered highest net addition of Subscribers in September’10 i.e. 2284627 (3%) in respect to August’10 figures. Even after loss of Wireline Subscribers numbering 237745, combined (wireless + wireline) growth comes to 2046882, which is 2^nd only to Bharti Airtel by about 14K lines.

v     Amongst BSNL Circles, Kerala recorded highest Wireless Subscribers’ growth of 4.32 lac followed by Andhra Pradesh 2.38 lac in September 2010.

v     Not all Wireless Subscribers are active – out of 68.77 Cr Wireless Subscribers, only 48.29 Cr (about 70%) were active on the last day of the month i.e. 30.09.2010. This is a new input which had been apprehended for long time and has to be watched closely. A poorer picture in this respect has been shown by BSNL (59%) & MTNL (36%) vis-à-vis Airtel (89%), Vodafone (75%).

Analysed by:

Mihir Dasgupta

Kolkata, 05.12.2010 

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Kapil Sibal, the new Communication Minister, is reported to have stated that Auction is not the best way to award Spectrum in future. It is not understood what is the basis for this new line of thought. Any way, this will certainly bring the issue in to a new focus. Whether it is intended to help th private telcos or whether it is to ensure that the telecom tariffs are not hiked. You may give your opinion.