The international Telecommunication Union celebrates its centenary on Monday 17, 1965. The oldest of international organisations, it is also perhaps the most successful. The founding of the International Telegraph Union in Paris a hundred years ago marked the beginning of a century of unbroken (except during the two world wars) and harmonious collaboration among the member countries for promoting the development, efficiency and unity of the Telecommunication services the world over.

Briefly, the main objectives of the I.T.U. are to promote the telecommunication development through international co-operation, ensure rational use of telecommunications, enlarge technical facilities, improve efficiency, formulate telegraph, telephone and radio regulations to ensure uniformity in procedure and tariff, disseminate information and to act as a body responsible for implementing the terms of International Conventions. The organisation of the Union consists of the Plenipotentiary Conference which has the power to revise the International Telecommunication Convention; the Administrative Conferences which consider specific telecommunication matters; and the Administrative Council with twenty five elected members of the Union which supervises the management and controls the budget of the ITU and provides the link with the United Nations Organisation and its allied agencies.

The following are the permanent organs of the Union (a) The General Secretariat of the Union with headquarters at Geneva. The Secretariat is the liaison between the Telecommunication Administrations of the world, provides the administrative and financial services of the Union and publishes, among other valuable documents, the monthly, "Telecommunication Journal". (b) The International Frequency Registration Board. This is an expert body of the elected members from different countries, giving help and advice in the assignment and utilisation of radio frequencies to ensure economic and co-ordinate use of frequency spectrum by the member Administrations. (c) The International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee which is devoted to the study of technical, operation and tariff questions related to telegraphy and telephony and makes recommendations thereon. (d) The International Radio Consultative Committee which is a similar body investigating and advising on technical and operation matters connected with radio, including the new problems of space communication.

The new and developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America look up to the ITU for many of their emergent needs like expert technical advice and assistance, grant fellowships to telecommunication engineers, their training and execution of U.N. Special Fund Projects. A member of the Union ever since 1869, India has been actively associated with it over the last ninety-six years. Particularly after the independence, she has made significant contribution as an elected member of the Administrative Council and as a nominee in a number of technical study groups. It is natural that India sets great store on the fascinating prospect of the countries of the world getting linked up in an international telecommunication network through a worldwide communication system; in bringing this about, the role of the ITU, which has set a fine example of what international co-operation can achieve, cannot be over-emphasised. Having sponsored the observance of the International Co-operation Year, India considers it a fitting coincidence that the year marks also the centenary of the ITU.

The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department is happy to bring out a special stamp on May 17, 1965 to commemorate the centenary of the International Telecommunication Union.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India