India – Member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council

GS 2: IR | Bilateral, regional & global groupings & agreements involving India &/or affecting India’s interests

Why in News?

  • India has been elected as a Member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for another 4-year term (2019-2022).
  • By securing 165 votes, India ranked third among the 13 countries elected to the Council from the Asia-Australasia region, and eighth among the 48 countries elected to the Council globally.The ITU has 193 memberstates who elect representatives to the Council.

India and ITU:

  • India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869, earnestly supporting the development and propagation of telecom in the global community of nations.
  • It has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952, and has played an important role in upholding principles of equality and consensus-building.
  • India’s strong partnership with the ITU was also demonstrated in the recent ITU decision to set up the ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre in New Delhi buy Jan 2019.

International Telecommunication Union:

  • ITU is a United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies, with membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and academic institutions.
  • The body freezes international standards on telecom technologies that are to be used globally.
  • ITU, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a member of the United Nations Development Group and has 12 regional and area offices in the world.
  • The ITU coordinates the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promotes international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world.
  • The ITU is active in areas including broadband Internet, latest-generation wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology, convergence in fixed-mobile phone, Internet access, data, voice, TV broadcasting, and next-generation networks.
  • India has been member of ITU since 1869 and has also been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952.
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