The first day of India's biggest spectrum auction for 72 GHz (gigahertz) airwaves ended with four major telecom firms committing a total of Rs 1.45 trillion ($18.2 billion) for 5G airwaves.

Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the bid amount exceeded the government’s estimates and added that the auction saw healthy participation between Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, Sunil Mittal’s Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and a unit of Gautam Adani's flagship Adani Enterprises.

The previous high was Rs 1.09 trillion that the government received in 2015 when it auctioned 4G airwaves and other bands.

In the first-day auction, the operators have committed to buy 48.3 GHz out of the total 72 GHz spectrum available.

Several frequency bands were put up for auction, ranging from low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), mid (3300 MHz), to high (26 GHz). Among them, the 5G bands 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands attracted strong bids.

Two bands – 600 MHz and 2,300 MHz – saw zero bids.

Four rounds of bidding took place with the first round starting at 10 am and the last ending at 6 pm on Tuesday.&nbsp;The fifth round of the auction will begin on Wednesday.

According to PTI news agency, the number of days the 5G spectrum auction stretches to will depend on the actual demand for radiowaves and the strategy of individual bidders, although the broad industry consensus is that it may last up to two days.

Minister Vaishnaw said the government is expecting to allocate the spectrum in record time so that the 5G services rollout in some Indian cities by September or October. He said that the target is to allocate the spectrum by August 14.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The first day of India's biggest spectrum auction for 72 GHz (gigahertz) airwaves ended with four major telecom firms committing a total of Rs 1.45 trillion ($18.

The first day of India's biggest spectrum auction for 72 GHz (gigahertz) airwaves ended with four major telecom firms committing a total of Rs 1.45 trillion ($18.2 billion) for 5G airwaves. Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the bid amount exceeded the government’s estimates and added that the auction saw healthy participation between Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, Sunil Mittal’s Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and a unit of Gautam Adani's flagship Adani Enterprises. The previous high was Rs 1.09 trillion that the government received in 2015 when it auctioned 4G airwaves and other bands. In the first-day auction, the operators have committed to buy 48.3 GHz out of the total 72 GHz spectrum available. Several frequency bands were put up for auction, ranging from low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), mid (3300 MHz), to high (26 GHz). Among them, the 5G bands 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands attracted strong bids. Two bands – 600 MHz and 2,300 MHz – saw zero bids. Four rounds of bidding took place with the first round starting at 10 am and the last ending at 6 pm on Tuesday. The fifth round of the auction will begin on Wednesday. According to PTI news agency, the number of days the 5G spectrum auction stretches to will depend on the actual demand for radiowaves and the strategy of individual bidders, although the broad industry consensus is that it may last up to two days. Minister Vaishnaw said the government is expecting to allocate the spectrum in record time so that the 5G services rollout in some Indian cities by September or October. He said that the target is to allocate the spectrum by August 14. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Day 1 of India’s 5G spectrum auction sees bidding worth $18.2 billion, exceeds govt estimates

Working for the Indian government's desk jobs is often seen as a safe, stress-free environment and with fixed working hours.

However, a new order may signal the end of the traditional 9-to-5 workday for some government employees in India.&nbsp;

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was recently appointed, has ordered his officials and personnel to work in two shifts.

The first shift will begin at 7 am&nbsp;and conclude at 4 pm, while the second will begin at 3 pm&nbsp;and conclude at 12 am.

The order stated, "Hon'ble MR (Minister of Railways) has directed that all officials and staff of MR Cell will work in two shifts i.e. 7:00 hours-16:00 hrs and 15:00 hrs-12:00 midnight with immediate effect."

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Assumed the charge of Minister of Communications at Sanchar Bhawan today. <a href="https://t.co/BPQYyDxNVG">pic.twitter.com/BPQYyDxNVG</a>
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1413036077493874689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"There's so much to accomplish, and every minute counts...Railways," said DJ Narain, ADG PR for the Ministry of Railways.&nbsp;

Vaishnav, the MP from Odisha, on Wednesday took oath as the Cabinet Minister and was given the charge of Railways along with the Information and Technology Ministry.

“There are lots of synergies in the three and I will be working to ensure that his (PM Modi’s) vision is implemented,” Vaishnaw told reporters as he assumed command.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Working for the Indian government's desk jobs is often seen as a safe, stress-free environment and with fixed working hours. However, a new order may signal the end of the traditional 9-to-5 workday for some government employees in India.

Working for the Indian government's desk jobs is often seen as a safe, stress-free environment and with fixed working hours. However, a new order may signal the end of the traditional 9-to-5 workday for some government employees in India. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was recently appointed, has ordered his officials and personnel to work in two shifts. The first shift will begin at 7 am and conclude at 4 pm, while the second will begin at 3 pm and conclude at 12 am. The order stated, "Hon'ble MR (Minister of Railways) has directed that all officials and staff of MR Cell will work in two shifts i.e. 7:00 hours-16:00 hrs and 15:00 hrs-12:00 midnight with immediate effect." Assumed the charge of Minister of Communications at Sanchar Bhawan today. pic.twitter.com/BPQYyDxNVG — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 8, 2021 × "There's so much to accomplish, and every minute counts...Railways," said DJ Narain, ADG PR for the Ministry of Railways. Vaishnav, the MP from Odisha, on Wednesday took oath as the Cabinet Minister and was given the charge of Railways along with the Information and Technology Ministry. “There are lots of synergies in the three and I will be working to ensure that his (PM Modi’s) vision is implemented,” Vaishnaw told reporters as he assumed command. (With inputs from agencies)

Efficiency drive: Indian rail minister asks officers to work from morning to midnight in two shifts

Indian Minister of Railways and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday sais that the law of the land is supreme and that Twitter will have to fall in line and comply with new social media and intermediary guidelines.

“Whoever is a citizen of India and those who stay in India will have to abide by the laws of the country,” he said hours after taking over as the minister.

The warning comes amid a tense relationship between Twitter and the government of India over new IT rules that make social media platforms more liable for third-party information; analysts believe this implies Twitter has lost legal immunity in cases involving user-generated content.

Vaishnav, the MP from Odisha, on Wednesday took oath as the Cabinet Minister and was given the charge of Railways along with the Information and Technology Ministry. 
 
He said was thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the responsibility.

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Assumed the charge of Minister of Communications at Sanchar Bhawan today. <a href="https://t.co/BPQYyDxNVG">pic.twitter.com/BPQYyDxNVG</a>
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1413036077493874689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He said his focus will be on improving the life of the last man standing in the queue.

In past, Vaishnav, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha, had raised the issue of cyber bullying of Karnataka-based Rashmi Samant's resignation from the position of Oxford Student Union President in the United Kingdom and described it as a serious case of racism.

US-based company Twitter has been in the eye of a storm over its alleged failure to comply with the new IT rules in India, which mandates, among other requirements, the appointment of three key personnel -- chief compliance officer, nodal officer and grievance officer by social media platforms with over 50 lakh users.

All the three personnel have to be residents in India. While the rules came into effect on May 26, Twitter is yet to adhere to the social media guidelines, despite repeated reminders from the government.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Minister of Railways and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday sais that the law of the land is supreme and that Twitter will have to fall in line and comply with new social media and intermediary guidelines.

Indian Minister of Railways and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday sais that the law of the land is supreme and that Twitter will have to fall in line and comply with new social media and intermediary guidelines. “Whoever is a citizen of India and those who stay in India will have to abide by the laws of the country,” he said hours after taking over as the minister. The warning comes amid a tense relationship between Twitter and the government of India over new IT rules that make social media platforms more liable for third-party information; analysts believe this implies Twitter has lost legal immunity in cases involving user-generated content. Vaishnav, the MP from Odisha, on Wednesday took oath as the Cabinet Minister and was given the charge of Railways along with the Information and Technology Ministry. He said was thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the responsibility. Assumed the charge of Minister of Communications at Sanchar Bhawan today. pic.twitter.com/BPQYyDxNVG — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 8, 2021 × He said his focus will be on improving the life of the last man standing in the queue. In past, Vaishnav, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha, had raised the issue of cyber bullying of Karnataka-based Rashmi Samant's resignation from the position of Oxford Student Union President in the United Kingdom and described it as a serious case of racism. US-based company Twitter has been in the eye of a storm over its alleged failure to comply with the new IT rules in India, which mandates, among other requirements, the appointment of three key personnel -- chief compliance officer, nodal officer and grievance officer by social media platforms with over 50 lakh users. All the three personnel have to be residents in India. While the rules came into effect on May 26, Twitter is yet to adhere to the social media guidelines, despite repeated reminders from the government. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw warns Twitter, says 'law of land supreme'