CTMS Endowment Lectures

Bio-Data of Dr. T. H. CHOWDARY:

• Dr. T. H. Chowdary (b 1931) studied in Loyola College, Chennai & College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications (1952) • He held executive , managerial and directorial positions (General Manger,Deputy Director General) in the Departments of (a) Information and Broadcasting and b) Telecommunications, of the Government of India.

• He was the founding Chairman and Managing Director of India’s Overseas Communications Corporation; Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL)

• He was Governor, INTELSAT (Washington) and Executive Director, INMASAT (London). He was Senior Expert of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Guyana and Yemen and was engaged by the CIDA (Canada) for writing the Green Paper for restructuring of Telecoms in South Africa and for drafting Information and Communications Policy in Nepal

• He was Member of the Prime Minister of India’s National Task Force on Information Technology and Software in 1998-99. In these several capacities he traveled 75 times to over 80 countries including the former USSR and the People’s Republic of China. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institution of Electronic & Telecom Engineers (India) and its past President.

• Dr Chowdary was Information Technology Advisor in the rank of Minister of State to the Government of Andhra Pradesh (India), mentoring the State’s extensive programmers for e-Governance, Government to citizen (G2C) services (e-Seva), establishment of Internet Kiosks, computer education in schools and colleges and broadband applications.

• Dr Chowdary was Fellow of Satyam Computer Services ( 1999-2009) and a Fellow of Tata Consultancy Services since 1990

• He is the founding (1988) Director of the Center for Telecom Management and Studies (India) an I.C.T think-tank and intellectual campaigner for liberalization of India’s telecommunications and for extensive deployment of information and communication technologies in Government and mass use for information of society.

• He is the Chairman of Governing Body of Bankatlal College for Information Technology (BBCIT) in Hyderabad since the year 2000.

• He is the Chairman of Governing Body of Vignan’s LARA College, Vadlamannadu (Guntur) and Dhanekula Engineering College, Vijayawada since its founding.

• He is Chairman of Pragna Bharati (Intellect India), a think-tank and a platform for intellectuals in the two Telugu States for deliberations on socio-political, economic, educational and developmental issues confronting India.

• He is author of several books on telecommunications, information technology , Indian culture and politics and Editor /Member, Board of Editors of several journals (national and international ) ob telecommunications & information technology (eg: INFO and Telecommunications Policy, both from the UK)

Teaching:

• He was visiting faculty in a number of universities in India, USA, Denmark and China • He speaks on All India Radio, appears on Door Darshan and many Telugu & English TV channels discussing current affairs

• While in telecoms he established Regional Telecom Training Centers (RTTC) in Ahmadabad, Hyderabad and even as General Manger was taking classes for the engineer-recruits

• He is an invited speaker in various engineering colleges and business management institutes on a variety of topics

Journals:

• He has been editing and publishing the monthly journals ICTs & Society of the Center for Telecom Management and Studies -1992-2014

• He writes on socio-political affairs, Indian History, culture, Bharatiya scientific heritage, current problems of India, “secularism” etc. He edits two monthly journals called (1) Bharatiya Pagna since 1997 and (2) “Secularism” Combat since May 2003 and a columnist for six journals in English and Telugu, South Asia Politics, Freedom First, Hindu Voice, Telugu Vidyarthi, Jagriti and Kamma Vaibhavam. He is on the Editorial Board of International Journal INFO publishes from UK

• He is currently engaged in the movement for liberation of Hindus temples from government management and energise them for defense, propagation and promotion of Hindu Dharma through Manava Seva and Dharma Prabodh

• He writes for national and international news papers and professional journals

Honors Received:

• He was elected (1951) President of the (College of Engineering Guindy) Students Association, even while known as a Communist.

• He was elected as Distinguished Fellow (DF) of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) in 1985 and as its President in 1999 • He received the L. V. Ramaiah award in 1989 for distinguished service to society through telecoms

• He was conferred a Doctorate (Honoris Causa) by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad in 1999 for distinguished service to engineering, education & IT services

• He was one of the eminent five Engineering Personalities who were felicitated by the Institution of Engineers (India), at its Fifteenth Indian Engineering Congress, ob 19th December 2000 in Hyderabad

• He is the recipient of Prathibha Puraskar award from Santana Dharma Charitable Trust, Bheemunipatnam A.P in the year 2011

• He is Fellow of Tata Consultancy Services ( the number one IT company of India) since 1990 and Director of a number of Telecom & IT Companies • He is recipient of Honors (Puraskars) from several social literary and spiritual societies

• He received Nava Bharat (Co-operative Urban) Bank’s award for distinguished Social Service in 2016

• He received India’s prestigious award Padma Sri (26 Jan 2017)

• The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunications (IETE) conferred. “Life Time Achievement Award “ in 2018

• He receive the “Life Time Achievement Award” from Hyderabad Software Exports Association (HYSEA) in 2019

• He received the Dr.Y.Nayudamma Memorial award in 2019 • He received the “Life Time Achievement Award” from Voice & Data in March 2021.

He is the founding Director of the Center for Telecom Management and Studies (India) and I.C.T. think-tank and intellectual compaigner for liberalization of India’s telecommunications and for extensive deployment of information and communication technologies in Government and mass use for informatisation of society.

He is Chairman of Pragna Bharathi (Intellect India), a think-tank and a platform for deliberations on socio-political, economic, educational and developmental issues confronting India.

He is the author of several books on telecommunications, information technology, Indian culture and politics and Editor / member, Board of Editors of several journals (national and international) on telecommunications, information technology and socio-political affairs. (eg: INFO; Telecommunications Policy, both from the UK). He has been editing and publishing the monthly Journal of the Center for Telecom Management and Studies since 1992.

During May 1997 to May 2004, Dr. Chowdary was Information Technology Advisor in the rank of Minister of State to the Government of Andhra Pradesh (India), mentioning the State’s extensive programmes for e-Governance, Government to Citizen (G2C) services (e-Seva) on the Internet, computer education in schools and colleges and broadband applications.

He is a Fellow of Tata Consultancy Services and Satyam Computer Services (the number 1 and 5 I.T. companies of India) and Director of a number of Telecom & I.T. Companies.

(01) 17.05.2005 : By Sri R. Ramaraj, Mg. Director & Chief Executive Officer, SIFY.

(02) 17.05.2006 : By Sri Pradip Baijal, former Chairman, TRAI, New Delhi.

(03) 17.05.2007 : By Prof. P.V. Indiresan, former Director, IIT, Chennai, Kanpur & Delhi and Past President, IETE.

(04) 17.05.2008 : By Dr. Ashok V. Desai, Consultant Editor of The Telegraph, Calcutta Daily and A Columnist in Business World Magazine.

(05) 17.05.2009 : By Dr.S.D. Saxena, former Dirctor, BSNL Board of Directors, New Delhi on “Transforming a Govt. Department”.

(06) 17.05.2010 : By Dr. J.S. Sarma IAS (Retd) Chairman Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on “Better City, Better Life and Better Family with ICTs”.

(07) 17.05.2011 : By Sri R.Chandra Shekhar, IAS Chairman, Telecom Commissioner and Secretary. DOT on “The New National Telecom Policy & Better Rural Life with ICTs.

(08) 17.05.2012 : By Sri T. V. Ramachandran, former Director General of COAI and now Head, Regulation and Public policy, Vodafone on "Indian Rural Life with ICTs".

(09) 17.05.2013 : By Sri Dr. B. V. Mohan Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director InfoTech Enterprises Limited, Hyderabad on "ICTs And Improving Road Safety".

(10) 17.05.2014 : By Sri N.Vittal, IAS (Retd.), Former Chairman, Telecom Commission & Secretary, DOT on "The Course of Telecom Liberalization and Tasks Ahead".

(11) 17.05.2015 : By Dr. J. Satyanarayana, IAS (Retd.), I.T. Adviser, Government of Andhra Pradesh & Former Secretary, DEIT, Government of India on "Digital India - Smart Cities".

(12) 17.05.2017 : By Dr. J. Satyanarayana, IAS (Retd.), I.T. Adviser, Government of Andhra Pradesh & Former Secretary, DEIT, Government of India on "ICT Entrepreneurship for Social Impact".

(13) 17.05.2018 : By Dr C. S. R. Prabhu, Former Director General, National Informatics Center, GOI on "Artificial Intelligence in the Service of Mankind".

(14) 17.05.2019 : By Sri Debashis Ghosh, Executive Vice President, Tata Consultancy Services, New Delhi on "DIGITALIZATION OF THE OPERATIONS OF INDIA POST".

(15) 17.05.2020 : Ms. Leena S BOKIL, NASA-Honeywell Educator, Space Advocate, a science enthusiast and a hard-core Science Communicator on "Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)".

(16) 17.05.2021 : Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma (IAS Retd.), CEO, National Health Authority (NHA),Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Govt. of India), Former Chairman, TRAI, New Delhi. on "Accelerating Digital Transformation in Challenging Times".