Technology must serve humanity, leaving no Indian behind: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Technology must remain rooted in inclusivity, ensuring no citizen is left behind while positioning India as a global leader in telecom standards and innovation, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said on Friday.

Speaking at the Diamond Jubilee celebration marking 60 years of Indian Telecommunications Service (ITS), Radhakrishnan described telecommunication as the backbone of digital India, powering everything from framework of governance to education, and finance to innovation.

Reflecting on milestones in the sector, he recalled an era when securing a telephone connection was a challenge and underlined how mobile technology has revolutionised communication today.

Radhakrishnan emphasised that the next chapter of connectivity must be built on the solid foundations of ethics, ensuring data and networks serve each and every Indian and that no one, however distant or disadvantaged, is left behind.

Be it policy formulation, spectrum management or ensuring safe and robust networks, ITS officers have been the state's most-trusted architects of transformation, he said, adding that India's telecom growth itself is a reflection of expert engineering and institutional strength of this cadre.

Noting the rapid evolution and growth of the telecommunication system in India, he described the journey as uncomparable, and remarkable.

"Telecommunication is the backbone of digital India, supporting the edifice of governance, education, finance and innovation. If roads and railways powered the industrial era, it is your vision and stewardship that power the India of the future... a nation powered by ideas and information," he said.

Constituted in 1965, the Indian Telecommunications Service is an organized civil service of the government. The service was created to meet the techno-managerial requirements of the government in areas related to telecommunications.

Radhakrishnan noted ITS's role as a vital force encouraging progress, fostering connectivity, and unlocking opportunities for millions across the country.

He highlighted that from the monopoly days of BSNL to a competitive and dynamic marketplace, the evolving telecom ecosystem is a testament to the service's enduring commitment to excellence and public welfare.

Looking ahead, the Vice-President urged the service to continue leading India into the future of connectivity with emerging technologies such as 5G and 6G.

Addressing the event, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stressed the importance of curiosity, continuous learning, humility, bold reforms, and mentorship for officers at all levels.

Scindia pointed out that with innovation, audacious goals, and unwavering dedication, the ITS cadre would remain a mirror of India's growth and a portrait of the nation's ambition on the global stage.

"We must live with the mantra: one team, one vision, one goal and one result. And along with that capacity to innovate," the minister added.

Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani highlighted the vital shift of India from being a consumer of technology to a "telecom product nation", a change significantly propelled by ITS officers through innovation support, start-up enablement, and the indigenous creation of world-class solutions such as Sanchar Saathi.

Pemmasani asserted that while other services had built the physical highways of the nation, the ITS had built the digital highways that were defining the 21st-century economy. He declared that it was not just bridging the digital divide but also closing the opportunity divide. PTI MBI TRB