New Delhi, Jul 11: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has officially expanded the Sanchar Mitra Scheme into a nationwide initiative aimed at engaging youth as digital ambassadors to bridge communication gaps and promote digital literacy across the country.In its first outreach effort, the Assam LSA, the field office of DoT, organised an interactive session with representatives from top engineering institutions—including IIT, IIIT, NIT, and other colleges across Assam—at BSNL Bhawan, Guwahati. The session focused on informing and involving students in the scheme, which harnesses their energy to facilitate telecom awareness and digital empowerment at the grassroots levels.
The event was chaired by Sunita Chandra, Advisor, Office of the Director General of Telecom, New Delhi. Suresh Puri, Additional Director General and Head of Assam LSA, and Hemendra Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director General (Media) and Spokesperson for DoT, presented detailed insights into the scheme’s objectives and structure.In her keynote address, Sunita Chandra said: “Our goal is to create a bridge between DoT initiatives, telecom services, and citizen-centric efforts. It’s about making communication seamless and ensuring our users and the public benefit from responsible and secure telecom usage. Young students from universities and colleges are vital in this vision.”Suresh Puri highlighted the scheme’s three core pillars—Connect, Educate, Innovate—and stressed the importance of public awareness to ensure safe and inclusive telecom practices. Hemendra Kumar Sharma discussed India’s transition from a consumer to a provider of advanced telecom services like 5G, 6G, AI, and cybersecurity, emphasising the need for grassroots awareness to prevent digital frauds and promote responsible digital behaviour. He underlined the vital role of Sanchar Mitras as ‘digital ambassadors’ in this digital revolution.Participants from various academic institutions actively engaged in discussions, expressing enthusiasm to collaborate with the scheme.Union Minister for Communications and Development of North East Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, launched the revamped Sanchar Mitra Scheme, transforming it from a pilot project into a scalable, incentive-driven national movement. He described the scheme as a symbol of India’s leadership in Democracy, Demography, digitisation, and Delivery.
About the Sanchar Mitra Scheme:
Initially piloted in select institutions, the scheme has now been scaled up nationwide following positive feedback and measurable impact. Under this initiative, student volunteers—Sanchar Mitras—will conduct grassroots awareness campaigns on digital safety, cyber fraud prevention, responsible mobile usage, and EMF radiation concerns. They will also promote digital literacy and responsible telecom practices.Participants will receive specialised training from experts at the National Communications Academy–Technology (NCA-T) and DoT’s Media Wing, gaining exposure to cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, 6G, AI, and cybersecurity. The program offers opportunities for internships, participation in telecom projects, and engagement with forums like the India Mobile Congress and ITU standards.Institutions will be selected in coordination with local DoT offices, and students from telecom, electronics, computer science, and cybersecurity backgrounds will be nominated as Sanchar Mitras. The scheme aims to cultivate a digitally skilled, research-oriented youth workforce dedicated to India’s vision of becoming a global telecom R&D and manufacturing hub.
