National
Net neutrality can’t be compromised: Tharoor
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Throor, one of the first Indian politicians to take to Twitter, on Friday underlined the need of net neutrality, citing the needs of fostering innovation and customer choice.
The former union minister said that although telecom companies’ argument that they have invested a lot in buying the spectrum and building the infrastructure is not without merit, but equal access to the internet can’t be compromised for two basic reasons.
“One of the primary reasons is that if a data provider enters into a tie-up with a giant like Facebook to provide free access to it and to charge money from its rivals – most of them very small players – for the same, it’s like killing entrepreneurship and innovation,” Tharoor said.
“Such an approach ought to be restricted on the ground that this is stifling innovation,” he emphasised while delivering presidential address at a debate on net neutrality organised by O.P. Jindal Global University here.
Net neutrality means that governments and Internet service providers should treat all data on the Internet equally – therefore, not charging users, content, platform, site, application or mode of communication differentially.
The net neutrality principle came into focus in India following mobile operator Airtel’s launch of an open marketing platform ‘Airtel Zero’, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s consultation paper on whether telecom firms could be allowed to charge different rates for different uses of Internet data such as e-mail, browsing and for use of apps like Whatsapp, Viber and Skype.
The second clinching argument in support of net neutrality, said Tharoor, is that once the telecom companies have charged for the data, they have no right to tell the user where to use that data.
“You charge for the data you are providing. But it’s my choice where to use that data,” he said.
Tharoor also sought to justify cheaper spectrum prices for the telecom operators by saying that it would curtail the call rates in turn.
“The government can make it more palatable for the telecom companies perhaps by offering them more spectrum at a modest price. That would cover their cost,” he added.
The UPA government had been in the eye of a storm for allegedly selling the spectrum cheaply and favouring a few telecom players over others.
Earlier, O.P. Jindal University’s vice chancellor C. Rajkumar said that there has been more heat than light in the public discourse over net neutrality though there should be more informed opinions in the fray.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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