DENIAL OF LICENCE TO HAM RADIO
ENTHUSIASTS FROM THE
NORTH EASTERN STATES OF INDIA 

For the last 9 years, no ham radio licences have been issued to those who have passed ASOC examination from the North Eastern States of India, which is defeating the very purpose of ham radio.

Sri Ranjit Chaliha, VU2RCH, is a dedicated ham radio operator from the North Eastern part of India (Assam). He is one of the few fortunate persons to get a ham radio licence (including me!) from a  North Eastern state. Examples of many ardent radio experimenters can be cited whom the concerned authority has been denying ham radio licences simply because they  belong to India's North Eastern States. 

Sri Ritu Mahanta (an Electrical Engineer by profession) is one such person from Guwahati who is well known among the radio enthusiasts as an electronic whizkid. He had assembled his own wireless equipment and also passed the ASOC examination, but  for the last nine years, his dream to come on-the-air never came true as he was denied licence by the Ministry of Communications, New Delhi.

Sri Ranjit Barman is a Scientific Officer with the Assam Science, Technology & Environment Council (Guwahati)  was also deprived of an amateur radio licence.

In respect of the non-issuing of ham radio licences to the people, President of the  Amateur Radio Society of India, Mr. Sahruddin, VU2SDN, says-" Governments in India and elsewhere do not seem to realize that no anti social element ever approaches them for a licence. Most of the delay in issue of licences is caused by the security vetting procedures, which can be dispensed with or modified taking into account the fact that only law abiding citizens approach the government for a licence. An easy way out would be to grant a provisional licence, subject to cancellation if an adverse report is received from those agencies.

There is another factor which inhibits the growth of amateur radio. Commercial licencees are allowed to operate mobile stations, without individual security clearances, and without any restriction in operational areas. Radio amateurs, who have to qualify in an examination and who cleared individually by security agencies, are denied permission to use their hand-held equipment outside the licensed addresses. This is an anomaly which needs to be rectified by the government. " (Source: "SPECTRUM NEEDS FOR THE AMATEUR SERVICE AND CB RADIO by Sahruddin, Ham Radio News, April/June 1998). "

The licence issuing authority has been conducting Amateur Station Operator’s Certificate (ASOC) exams regularly, but candidates have been left high and dry for a long time after that. It has been observed that the delay is taking place everywhere without any valid reason. Ham radio is a hobby, it is very useful during emergency and disasters. Bans on its propagation contradicts our Government’s decision of popularising it. The same Govt. has included ham radio clubs in the list of possible activities to be promoted and funded under MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). If terrorists and anti-social elements want to aquire sophisticated means of communication; they can and have been doing it. Why victimise only this great hobby ?