The Department of Telecom has initiated the process to seek cabinet approval for dissolving the Digital Communication Commission, according to an official source quoted by PTI. The commission, formerly known as the Telecom Commission, serves as the apex inter-ministerial body responsible for making policy decisions on matters with significant financial implications. The body currently comprises the Telecom Secretary as Chairman, four full-time members who are ex-officio Secretaries to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications, and four part-time members who are secretaries to the Government of India in concerned departments.
Among the ex-officio secretaries, the posts of member (technology) and member (services) are currently vacant and the government has no plans to fill these positions, as reported by PTI. Additionally, Member (Finance) Manish Sinha is scheduled to superannuate in February 2027. The commission, which was formed in 1989 and renamed as Digital Communication Commission in 2018, has been instrumental in resolving issues involving senior officials from NITI Aayog, the Finance Ministry, and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
Following the commission's dissolution, the final decision at the Department of Telecom will be taken by the Telecom Secretary and then approved by the minister and cabinet as required, according to the official source. The commission has historically played a crucial role in decision-making on spectrum pricing and call recommendations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The body's disbandment represents a significant structural change in India's telecommunications regulatory framework.
