Every year on 17th May is celebrated as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) throughout the world.
The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
The theme of World Telecommunication Day 2021 : “Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times”.
The coronavirus pandemic has indeed highlighted the critical role of information and communication technologies more than ever.
Key points:
i.The day had previously been known as ‘World Telecommunication Day’ to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union(ITU) on 17 May, 1865.
ii.17th May also marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention.
iii.World Information Society Day was an international day proclaimed to be on 17 May by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis.
iv.In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
Recent Related News:
On 3rd March 2021, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State, Ministry of Communication inaugurated the virtual“India Telecom 2021”, an Exclusive international business expo organised by Telecom Equipment Export PromotionCouncil(TEPC).
About International Telecommunication Union(ITU):
ITU is the specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) for issues concerning information and communication technologies (ICTs). It is a member of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Establishment: 1865
Secretary-General: Houlin Zhao
Members: 193 countries.
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
India in ITU: Since 1869 India has been an active member of ITU. It became a regular member of ITU Council in 1952. In November 2018, India was re-elected as a ITU Council’s Member for another 4-year term beginning 2019 to 2022.
