Significant move....

Dear friends,
In a significant move, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Govt. of India, has convened a joint meeting of the different Ministries, Government Departments and different Amateur Radio (ham radio) promoting bodies in India on December 6, 2004. The meeting which was held at the behest of the National Disaster Management Wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs aimed at removing the bottlenecks of ham radio promotion in India and to bring up a 'National Roadmap' for ham radio promotion.

Brainstorming sessions on the following aspects were held:
(1) Amateur Radio in Education (School/College/Technical Institutes);(2) Amateur Radio for Volunteer Groups under youth development schemes;(3) Amateur Radio Promotion and related Legal/Security/Regulatory aspects.
The ham radio operators in the India were represented by the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI), Vigyan Prasar (National Council for Science & Technology Communications & Vigyan Prasar Club VU2NCT, Govt. of India), National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR), Mumbai Amateur Radio Society (MARS), and Institute of Amateur Radio Gujarat (GIAR).

Hams who have represented on behalf of the above organisations were: Lion Ajoy from Bangalore, VU2JHM (representing ARSI-an IARU affiliated body) and Shri Sahruddin, VU2SDN (Ex-President, ARSI), Shri S. Suri, VU2MY (National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad), Shri Sandeep Baruah, VU2MUE (Ex-VU2MSY) & Dr. Subodh Mahanti from Vigyan Prasar, Deptt. of Science & Technology, Shri Nilesh Rathod, VU2NLF (Mumbai Amateur Radio Society, Mumbai), and Shri Jinofer Bhujwala (Institute of Amateur Radio Gujarat-GIAR).

ARSI's views were earlier faxed by Mrs. Sarla Sharma, VU2SWS (Vice-President, ARSI) to the Home Ministry.

Shri Rama Rao, Assistant Wireless Adviser to the Govt. of India, WPC Wing was also present in the meeting. It was informed by Shri Rama Rao that WPC is now considering an amendment of the Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Rules 1978 (which was last amended in 1984). For example, there may be just two categories of ham radio licences in India, i.e.'Restricted Grade' and a 'General Grade' licence.

The meeting was convened and presided over by Shri Saroj Kumar Jha, Director (NDM-III, Ministry of Home Affairs), who strongly felt that that the grievances of amateur radio enthusiasts in India are genuine and that these attract serious attention. He also expressed his feelings to do away with the age old rules & regulations pertaining to ham radio in India.

Most of the participants came to a common consensus that following are the bottlenecks of ham radio promotion in India:

(1) Long delay in the 'Licencing' (due to the long process involved in police verification etc.)

(2) Restrictions like the permissions involved in ham radio operation (for portable operation, mobile operation, field day operation, awareness programmes, expeditions, dxpedition, reciprocal operations, car rallies etc.)

(3) Customs duty imposed on amateur radio equipments (those that come under the HS Code 852520 04).

(4) Mandatory requirement of the knowledge of Morse Code etc.

In this regard, an elaborate report is submitted to the NDM (Home Ministry) by VU2NCT club station of Vigyan Prasar, which is available at http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy/VU2NCT_Suggestions_to_Home_Ministry.pdf .
These are in line with the views which are separately submitted by ARSI to the NDM (Home Ministry).

We on behalf of VU2NCT club station would like to thank all the hams who have submitted their valuable suggestions through an online Internet form long time back at http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy/amendment.htm .

Many of the views in our report to the Home Ministry are directly 'taken' or 're-produced' from the views which were deliberated by the individual hams in India through the online Internet form.

Thanks to OM Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, YL Sarla Sharma, VU2SWS (Vice President, ARSI), Shri Sahruddin, VU2SDN (Ex-President, ARSI) and Lion Ajoy, VU2JHM for catalyzing the effort.

Thanks to VU2UKR, VU3FUN, VU2ZZA, VU2LID, VU2ZAP, VU2UYC, VU2DUF, VU2KFR, VU2ATN, VU2PCD, VU2CBU (Ex-VU3PDZ), VU3DJQ, VU3SNM, VU2JPS, VU2NGB, VU3HCL, VU2LLA, VU2GRM, VU3RJH, VU2PAI, VU2SBJ, VU2HSM, VU2JN, VU3HCL, VU2SDU, VU2LLA, VU2PAI, VU2DRL, VU2LIB, VU2WEE VU2ARC/JHM, VU2YK, VU2RAK, VU2HFR, VU2SXA, VU2BTM, VU3VOA, VU2NTA, VU3GRB, VU2FTF, VU3GTF, VU2SWM, VU3SLV, VU3ALK, VU3NSP, VU2KFL, VU2PQ, VU2NGD, VU3AGU, VU2PN, VU2QGQ, VU2QGS, VU2OGR, VU2HY, VU2CRD, VU2CMR, VU2KYP, VU3KSP, VU2XMX, VU3VOC, VU3PAN, VU3BWB VU3RCN, VU3KPL, VU2MKD, VU2RPC, VU2SKD, VU3BFO, VU3WCI, VU2RAR, VU2IVG, VU3KSP, VU2RDQ, VU2SXA, VU2TNA, VU3BGS, VU3BHU, VU3CSB, VU3MHM, VU2NJN, VU3GHB VU2TES, VU2TNA, VU3HPF, VU3AZI, VU3BSW, VU2NYR, VU2CVT, VU2AMU, VU2AVE, VU3OAM, VU2DXC, VU3XTO, VU2JSH, VU2LU, VU2VTH and also many SWLs, especially OM Ramakrishnan (Bangalore), OM Abhijit Dharmadhikari (Mumbai) who have been long waiting (for more than two years!) for their licences since they passed their exams...

The different Ministries/Departments who have participated in the meeting are:Deptt. of Space, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of HRD, Deptt. of IT, DOT, DCPW (Police Wireless), Confederation of Indian Industries, Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA), Govt. of Uttaranchal and Govt. of AP etc. We expect that a National Roadmap for the promotion of ham radio in India would come up soon.

Kudos to the Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs for coordinating and promoting amateur radio as a tool for effective disaster communication. It is expected that the present impediments of amateur radio promotion in India can be removed by implementing a new amateur radio policy with active cooperation of different Ministries (e.g. DOT, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Revenue Ministries, Ministry of HRD & other concerned deptts.) and amateur radio promoting bodies.

Thanks & Best 73de
(Sandeep Baruah) VU2MUE

Senior Scientific Officer

Vigyan Prasar, Deptt. of Science & Technology (Club VU2NCT)

C-24, Qutab Institutional Area,

New Delhi - 110016.