August 16, 2022
1 min read

India’s IT Secretary appointed to high-level UN internet panel

Sharma is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Kerala cadre…writes Arul Louis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday appointed India’s Electronics and Information Technology Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma to a panel of eminent experts on internet governance.

Internet pioneer Vint Cerf and Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Reesa were also appointed to the 10-member Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel, Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

In addition, Guterres’ envoy on technology, Amandeep Singh Gill, will also be on the panel.

The panel was set up under the mandate of the IGF and the recommendations in Guterres’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.

The panel’s role is to deal with “strategic and urgent issues” of the Internet and provide strategic advice to the IGF.

Sharma is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Kerala cadre.

A former secretary in the Cabinet secretariat, he has also worked with the UN Development Programme as the national project director for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.

A former diplomat, Gill had been India’s permanent representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament and was the chief executive officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR).

Cerf is sometimes called “the father of the internet” for being one of the developers of the internet’s architecture and the TCP/IP, which are the standards that enable devices and programmes to communicate over digital networks.

Reesa, a Filipino-American journalist who had been arrested in her home country Philippines, received the Nobel Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression”.

ALSO READ: Indian envoy pays homage to Bangabandhu

Previous Story

MoHAP celebrates World Organ Donation Day

Next Story

Could Blue Economy fuel Asia’s rise?

Latest from -Top News

BNP ramps up poll demand

Chief Adviser Yunus had earlier promised elections in December 2025, but the timeline has since been pushed back first to February 2026 and then to June 2026, fuelling suspicion and dissatisfaction among

Saudi backs India’s strategic outreach

In a series of engagements, the Indian delegation met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State Adel Al-Jubeir and other senior officials. A high-profile Indian all-party parliamentary delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay

India clears stealth fighter project

New execution model paves way for private sector involvement in India’s ambitious stealth aircraft programme; Army showcases next-gen drone warfare systems. In a landmark decision bolstering India’s defence self-reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath

ASEAN lauds India’s firm stance on terrorism

The ASEAN Secretary-General reaffirmed the bloc’s resolve to deepen collaboration with India—a comprehensive strategic partner—in security and counter-terrorism efforts. The Indian all-party Parliamentary delegation, led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha,

Ex-SEBI chief cleared by Lokpal

The anti-corruption ombudsman ruled that the complaints lacked credible evidence and were based largely on assumptions, speculation, and unverifiable claims. The Lokpal of India has dismissed all complaints against former Securities and
Go toTop

Don't Miss

India says it is deeply concerned about situation in West Asia

New Delhi said it is deeply concerned over the escalating

India’s overtures in Sri Lanka challenge China’s dominance

Despite Chinese inroads in Sri Lanka, there has also been