DoT and NTPRIT conduct Workshop for 220+ Sanchar Mitras from around 20 States/UTs

Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with National Telecommunications Institute, Ghaziabad (NTIPRIT) conducted an Awareness Workshop for Sanchar Mitras today on May 28, 2024. Under Sanchar Mitra programme, students are engaged as volunteers to empower citizens with respect to their safe & smooth journey in digital world, by raising awareness about various citizen centric services of Department and dangers of cyber fraud.

The Sanchar Mitra have been selected from the students of the prestigious educational institutions which are housing 100 5G Use Case Labs. Over 250 Sanchar Mitras, the student volunteers, have been selected across India.

Smt Madhu Arora, Member (T), Digital Communication Commission, interacted with Sanchar Mitras during the inauguration of the workshop. She said, “Telecommunications plays a vital role in today’s digital world. It is imperative that the citizens are aware of today’s digital trends and developments, thus, Sanchar Mitra is a steppingstone of our efforts to raise awareness and empower citizens.”

She further described them as ‘agents of change’ in our society, helping bridge the gap between Department’s initiatives and the citizens these initiatives intend to serve, particularly in remote areas where access to information is limited. Member (T) spoke on the importance of two-way communication with focus on Sanchar Mitra as a feedback mechanism, relaying valuable insights regarding challenges faced by citizens to DoT to help department form better strategies. She urged them to make use of this unique platform to unlock future opportunities in telecom and related fields.

She lauded the efforts of DoT in ensuring citizen safety in times of natural disasters and through innovative solutions like Sanchar Saathi. India’s technological manufacturing prowess was also highlighted with the milestone of creating an 4G & 5G indigenous stack appreciated during the workshop.

Shri Deb Kumar Chakraborti, Director General, NTIPRIT, emphasised on the role of Sanchar Mitra in bridging the communication gap between citizens and DoT. He enlisted providing affordable connectivity for all, grievance redressal, tackling cyber threats, safe citizen centric solutions, as the primary duties of DoT. DG (NTIPRIT) gave valuable suggestions on the expansion of Sanchar Mitra programme.

The roles of Sanchar Mitras in this programme will be multi-fold: They will play an instrumental role from raising awareness on various telecom related citizen centric services like Sanchar Saathi, promoting digital literacy, and educating on dangers of cyber fraud; to reporting of issues, collecting feedback and coordination with field offices.

The workshop organized by NTIPRIT for Sanchar Mitra acted as an induction programme, enhancing the capacity/understanding and effectiveness of volunteers. Aimed at the holistic awareness of telecom issues, the interactive workshop focussed on communication skills and provided an overview-cum-demonstration of key citizen-centric services.

Background-Sanchar Mitra Programme

Sanchar Mitras are the students identified from universities to whom 100 5G use case labs have been awarded. This spreads over educational institutions across 28 states and 4 UTs.

The Sanchar Mitra programme aims to enhance mobile users’ security; clarity on radiation myths; raise awareness about DoT’s initiatives and prevent mobile-related fraud. As citizen support enhances the efficacy of efforts of the department, the engagement of Sanchar Mitra from different states shall have a valuable addition to the department’s efforts to enhance mobile users’ security, raise awareness about DoT’s initiative and promote a safe digital ecosystem.

The programme seeks to establish a bridge between the DoT and citizens, fostering a collaborative approach towards telecom and Sanchar issues.