The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Monday named P D Vaghela as the new Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Vaghela, a Gujarat cadre IAS, will replace R S Sharma, who demits office on September 30, after a five-year tenure.
"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Dr. PD Vaghela, IAS (GJ: 1986), Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals as Chairperson, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)for a period of three years or until he attains the age of 65, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in a notification said.
Vaghela is currently working as the secretary, department of pharmaceuticals (DoP), under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Vaghela had earlier served as commissioner of commercial tax in Gujarat. He was also instrumental in bringing the goods and services tax (GST) in 2017.
Sharma on the other hand will complete a rare five year term at the office, after his tenure was extended by two years in August 2018.
A TRAI Chairman's usual term is three years.
During his tenure, the sector witnessed the entry of Reliance Jio, which forced several smaller players to exit the cut throat sector.
Currently, the sector has two major private players besides Jio -- Bharti Airtel and VI.
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