Why is it in the News?

To commemorate the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, C-DOT, the premier Telecom R&D Centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) celebrates and announces special Initiatives “NIDHI” & “STAR Program” for the development of indigenous telecom solutions & technologies.

What is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day?

• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated every year in May to honour the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on May 17, 1969.
• The day can be traced back to commemoration of the two significant events in the history of global communication.
• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) commemorates two significant events in the history of global communication.
  • Firstly, it marks the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1865, when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed.
• Followed by, in November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) called upon the United Nations General Assembly to also declare May 17th as World Information Society Day.
  • And then in 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, agreed to combine the two events as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
• This year’s World Telecommunications and Information Society Day 2024 focuses on the theme, “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development,”  underlying how digital innovation may help link everyone and create sustainable prosperity for all.

About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU):

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs).
• Established in 1865, it is the oldest among the UN’s 15 specialized agencies.
• ITU is responsible for allocating global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, developing technical standards to ensure network interconnectivity, and improving ICT access for underserved communities.
• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, ITU is part of the UN Development Group and operates 12 regional offices worldwide.
• It functions as an intergovernmental public-private partnership with 193 member states and around 800 sector members. India, a member since 1952, was re-elected to the ITU Council for the 2019-2022 term.