Call for Trai to seek DoT clarifications sparks autonomy concerns

A suggestion from the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) about seeking clarifications from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) before issuing recommendations has set off a debate, with some officials inside the regulator seeing the move as government interference in regulatory space, ToI reported. Officials in Trai see autonomy as central to its role.

On October 30, DCC, the inter-ministerial body for telecom policy decisions, wrote to Trai secretary Atul Kumar Chaudhary. In the letter, DCC proposed that Trai could approach DoT for “clarification on critical aspects” before finalising its recommendations.