Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Much needed bailout: On the ₹1.64-lakh-crore lifeline to BSNL

Much needed bailout: On the ₹1.64-lakh-crore lifeline to BSNL

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. needs state help to fulfil its social role in rural areas and in disaster relief

The Cabinet’s decision to provide a ₹1.64 lakh crore lifeline (जीवन रेखा) to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. comes as a badly needed shot in the arm for the loss-making public sector telecommunications provider. Almost three years since the Government last announced a plan to revive BSNL and its smaller peer Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL), the Government seems to have belatedly (देर से ही सही) realised that any further delay in adequately funding the main public sector telco in the “strategic (सामरिक, कूटनीतिक) sector” risks compromising its goals of bridging the digital divide and ensuring the evolution of an inclusive (समावेशी) knowledge society. Nothing highlights the urgency of providing the crucial (महत्वपूर्ण) capital support to address the multiple financial, technology and spectrum needs confronting (सामना होना) the erstwhile monopoly (एकाधिकार) provider of telecommunication services than the accelerated erosion in its subscriber base in the 31 months since October 2019, when the earlier revival plan was approved. For a company that held the commanding heights of landline (wireline) connections until the opening up of the sector to private players and entry of wireless telephony in the 1990s, BSNL’s share of wireline connections fell sharply to 28.7% at the end of May 2022, from 46.6% in October 2019. Over the same period, the total number of wireline connections grew 17.6% to 2.52 crore. On the significantly larger wireless front, BSNL’s already small share slid (गिरावट) marginally (मामूली, सीमांत रूप से) to 9.85% as on May 31, with the number of subscribers declining by 45 lakh to 11.28 crore. The only consolation (सांत्वना) was that the number of its rural wireless subscribers shrank by just 11.4 lakh, reflecting both the ubiquitousness of its network in the hinterland (आंतरिक इलाके) and far-flung outposts in key border areas, and the relatively greater loyalty it commands in the countryside.

The intervening period has also seen BSNL shrink its workforce, making it a far lighter ship and better placed to navigate the shoals of a competitive, and technologically rapidly evolving marketplace. From an employee base that exceeded 1.65 lakh, and consumed about 75% of its total income, the public sector enterprise had whittled (छीलना, आकार, मात्रा या सीमा में कुछ कम करना) down the number of regular employees on its rolls to 64,536 as on March 31, 2021, with the proportion of employee benefit expenses to total income more than halving to 36%. BSNL’s net loss also narrowed appreciably to ₹7,453 crore at the end of the fiscal year ended March 2021. Acknowledging the public sector telco’s “crucial role in expansion of telecom services in rural areas, development of indigenous (स्वदेशी) technology and disaster relief”, the Government has earmarked welcome funds for each of the chosen focus areas including allocating spectrum, helping the provider upgrade its services and critically de-stressing its balance sheet. The coming months will test the commitment (प्रतिबद्धता) and resolve of the Government and the BSNL management in marshalling (arrange or assemble (a group of people, especially soldiers) in order) the resources in a timely manner given how crucial the state-owned company is to the overall health of the industry as a ‘market balancer’.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Lifeline (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - जीवन रेखा
English Meaning - a thing on which someone or something depends or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation.

2.Belatedly (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - देर से ही सही
English Meaning - Later than should have been the case.

3.Strategic (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सामरिक, कूटनीतिक
English Meaning - Relating to the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them.

4.Inclusive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - समावेशी
English Meaning - Including or covering all the services, facilities, or items normally expected or required.

5.Crucial (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - Extremely important.

6.Confront (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामना होना
English Meaning - To face and deal with boldly.

7.Monopoly (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - एकाधिकार
English Meaning - The exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.

8.Slid (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - गिरावट
English Meaning - past form for ‘slide’

9.Marginally (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मामूली, सीमांत रूप से
English Meaning - At a barely adequate level.

10.Consolation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सांत्वना
English Meaning - The act of alleviating the grief of someone.

11.Uniquitousness (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सर्वव्यापकता
English Meaning - Existence everywhere at the same time

12.Hinterland (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - आंतरिक इलाके
English Meaning - The remote areas of a country away from the coast or the banks of major rivers.

13.Whittled (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - छीलना, आकार, मात्रा या सीमा में कुछ कम करना
English Meaning - Reduce something in size, amount, or extent by a gradual series of steps

14.Indigenous (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वदेशी
English Meaning - Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

15.Commitment (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबद्धता
English Meaning - An agreement or pledge to do something in the future.

16.Bailout (Noun)

English Meaning - an act of giving financial assistance to a failing business or economy to save it from collapse.

17.Marshalling (Verb)

English Meaning - arrange or assemble (a group of people, especially soldiers) in order.