DoPT Names P.D. Vaghela as New TRAI Chairman

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) names senior bureaucrat P.D. Vaghela as the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI).

Vaghela, a 1986-batch IAS officer of Gujarat-cadre would take charge from October 1st and he would be serving for three years or until he attains the age of 65, whichever is the earliest stated the department of personnel and training (DoPT).

Currently, P.D. Vaghela is serving as the Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Before joining the pharmaceuticals department, he was one of the key officers who played a significant role in relinquishing the goods and service tax (GST) in 2017.

Vaghela would be succeeding RS Sharma, who has been serving the sector for about five years. Usually, a TRAI chairman is appointed for a term of three years, but the imperative chair of TRAI, RS Sharma got a rare two-year extension till September 30, 2020, and he was notified just a day before his retirement on August 10, 2018. He took charge in July 2015. Before TRAI, Sharma had led the shaping of Aadhaar as its Director general and mission director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) between the period 2009-2013.

The TRAI chairman role is very crucial given the significance of the sector in the economy, as it aids in raising the person holding the position. The department of telecommunications takes the final decision on every proposal made for TRAI. Yet, TRAI's orders would be the basis of DoT's final policy framework.