Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released a vision document that details India’s plans to develop and launch 6G (or 6th generation) telecom services, a move that comes, he added, just around six months after the roll-out of 5G services .

Modi has previously said that India will have 6G services by 2030.

“Today’s India is rapidly moving towards the next step of the digital revolution,” he said. “India… (has had) the fastest 5G rollout in the world as 5G services have been rolled out in more than 125 cities in just 120 days and 5G services have reached approximately 350 districts in the country.”

India has also developed its own technology for 5G, and the US has been speaking to India about sourcing the indigenously developed 5G stack, as it is called, HT reported last week, citing officials who did not want to be named.

Modi was speaking at the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan. “India is working with many countries to change the work culture of the whole world with the power of 5G,” he said. “Be it 5G smart classrooms, farming, intelligent transport systems or healthcare applications, India is working fast in every direction.”

According to a statement released by the government, the Bharat 6G vision document has been prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) constituted in November 2021 with members from various ministries/departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, telecom service providers and industry to develop a road-map and action plans for 6G in India. “The 6G test bed will provide academic institutions, industries, start-ups, MSMEs etc. a platform to test and validate the evolving information and communication technologies. The Bharat 6G Vision Document and 6G test bed will provide an enabling environment for innovation, capacity building and faster technology adoption in the country,” the statement added.

Speaking at the same event telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India’s 5G rollout is among the “fastest in the world”. “The 5G test bed at IIT Madras is helping us perfect telecom equipment and software,” he added. The government hopes that the 6G test bed will have a similar impact.

The Prime Minister also spoke of how India has used technology to improve lives and livelihoods.

The three pillars — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile (JAM) — is an example of India is effectively using technology. “Telecom technology for India is not a mode of power, but a mission to empower,” he said.

“From 6 crore (60 million) users 2014, today there are over 80 crore (800 million) broadband users,” he said. “More people in rural country are leveraging digital power than urban people. This shows how digital power is reaching every corner off the country.”

6G or sixth generation services are the next generation of wireless telephony and internet, and are expected to be faster than 5G, have lower latency, and have a higher capacity.

The Prime Minister also launched an app, “Call before u Dig” to improve coordination between various utilities and government departments reduce the instances of unnecessary digging and damage.

ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). Headquartered in Geneva, it has a network of field offices, regional Offices and area offices. India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office.

Mahesh Uppal, a telecom expert, said that even in the West, 6G is targeted for 2030.

“There is no doubt that a lot of research and development work that needs to happen. There is a lot of push for India to have a share of the 6G mind space. But we have to be cognisant that such technologies are market driven, not government driven, however, they can be facilitative. We have to be mindful of that. We have to have realistic expectations.”

He added that India was the 87th country to launch 5G. “There are a lot of factors that have to come together, technology, investments, a market demand, people have to want the technology for it to be created,” Uppal said.

Padma award distribution: Social worker Hirbai Ibrahim Lobi, 70, was conferred with the Padma Shri award by President Droupadi Murmu for her contribution to uplifting the lives of the tribal community on Wednesday.

Lobi, known for bringing social reforms and initiatives to empower women in Siddi tribal community in Gujarat, won the hearts of people with her gesture at the award distribution ceremony held at the President’s House in New Delhi.

In a video, she was seen stopped while walking to get the award. Lobi briefly stopped near the first row where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several union ministers were seated. While speaking bravely mid-event, she praised PM Modi for his noble work for the tribals. In a rare expression of blessing, she stretched her dupatta showing affection and gratitude towards PM Modi.

She was heard saying, “‘Mere pyare Narendra Bhai aapne meri jholi khusiyon se bhar di” (My dear brother Narendra, you filled my ‘bag’ with happiness). The hall echoed with clapping for her emotional gesture. 

 

Hard work is key: Lobi

“…Work hard and you will get its fruits…Narendra Modi and Raj Bhavan gave me wealth…” She said after recieving the award.

When she was speaking, PM Modi listened to her with folded hands and expressed his reverence for the elderly woman. 

Expressed blessings to President

In another incident, she expressed her love and blessings for President by placing both her hands on the shoulders of Murmu to convey her blessings. Lobi expressed her special affection for the President because Murmu is India’s first woman President from the tribal community. 

Padma Awards 2023

For the year 2023, President Droupadi Murmu had approved the conferment of 106 Padma Awards including 3 duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises 6 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri Awards. Nine of the awardees are women and there are seven posthumous awardees.

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Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities such as social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. The awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March or April every year.

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