JS Deepak takes charge as Telecom Secretary

JS Deepak today took charge as the Telecom Secretary, following last week's top-level bureaucratic reshuffle. JS Deepak, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, assumes charge at a time when the Department of Telecom is preparing for the next round of spectrum auction. Trai has already given the recommendations for the base price of spectrum in seven banks.

The auction is likely to take place later this year. The former Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg was moved to Minority Affairs Ministry on January 29. Garg had taken over on July 17, 2014 and is to retire in November.

Aruna Sharma has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, in place of Deepak. Apart from the auction, Deepak will be saddled with responsibility of monitoring the progress of the Digital India programme and check the problem of call drops. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said Deepak was his choice for Telecom Secretary as Garg had sought transfer to other ministry.