THE INDIAN WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT, 1933
(Act No. 17 of 1933)
[11th September
1933]
1. Short title, extent and
commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Prohibition of possession of wireless telegraphy apparatus without
licence.
4. Power of Central Government to exempt persons from provisions of the
Act.
5. Licence.
8. Apparatus confiscated or having no owner to be property of Central
Government.
9. [Repealed]
10. Power of Central (government to make rules.
11. Saving of Indian Telegraphy Act.
THE INDIAN WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY
ACT, 1933 (Act No. 17 of 1933)
An Act to regulate the possession o wireless
telegraphy apparatus;
Whereas it is expedient to regulate the
possession of wireless telegraphy apparatus in India;
It is hereby enacted as follows: -
1. Short title, extent and commencement: -
(1) This
Act may be called the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force
on such date as the Central Government, may, by notification in the official
Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions. -In this Act, unless
there is anything repugnant in the subject or context, -
(1) “Wireless
Communication”: - Means any transmission, emission or reception of signs,
signals, writing, images and sounds, or intelligence of any nature by means of
electricity, magnetism, or Radio waves or Hertzian waves without the use of
wires or other continues electrical conductors between the transmitting and the
receiving apparatus.
Explanation: - “Radio wave” or “Hertzian
waves” means electromagnetic waves of frequencies lower than 3,0000 giga cycles
per second propagated in space without artificial guide.
(2) “Wireless
Telegraphy apparatus”: -Means any apparatus, appliance, instrument or material,
used or capable of use in wireless communication, and includes any article determined by rule made under Section 10 to be wireless
telegraphy apparatus, but does not include any such apparatus, appliance,
instrument or material commonly used for other electrical purposes, unless it
has been specially designed or adapted for wireless communication or form so
designed or adapted, nor any article determined by rule made under Section 10
not to be wireless telegraphy apparatus;
(2-A)
“Wireless transmitter”: -Means any
apparatus, appliance, instrument or material used or capable of use for
transmission or emission of wireless communication;
(3) “Prescribed” means
prescribed by rules made under Section 10.
3. Prohibition of possession of wireless telegraphy
apparatus without licence. -Save as provided by
Section 4, no person shall possess wireless telegraphy apparatus except under
and in accordance with a licence issued under this Act.
4. Power of Central Government to exempt persons from
provisions of the Act: -The Central Government may by rules made under this Act exempt any
person or any class of persons from the provisions of this Act either generally
or subject to prescribed conditions, or in respect of specified wireless
telegraphy apparatus.
5. Licences-The telegraphy authority constituted under Indian Telegraphy Act, 1985 (13
of 1885) shall be the authority competent to, issue licences to possess
wireless telegraphy apparatus under this Act, and may issue licences
in such manner, on such conditions and subject to such payments as may be
prescribed.
(1) Whoever possesses any wireless telegraphy
apparatus, other than a wireless transmitter, in contravention of the
provisions of Section 3 shall be punished, in the case of the first offence,
with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, and, in
the case of a second or subsequent offence, with fine which may extend to
two hundred any fifty rupees.
(1-A) Whoever
possesses any wireless transmitter in contravention of the provisions of
Section 3 shall be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to three years,
or with fine, which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
(2) For the
purposes of this section a Court may presume that a person possesses wireless
telegraphy apparatus if such apparatus is under his ostensible charge, or is
located in any premises or place over which he has effective control.
(3) If in
the trial of an offence under this section the accused is convicted, the
Court shall decide whether any apparatus in respect of which an
offence has been committed should be confiscated, and if it so decides, may
order confiscation accordingly.
7. Power of search. -Any officer specially empowered by the Central
Government in this behalf may search any building, vessel or place in
which he has reason to believe that any wireless telegraphy apparatus, in
respect of which an offence punishable under Section 6 has been committed is
kept or concealed, and take possession thereof.
8. Apparatus confiscated or having no owner to be
property of Central Government-All wireless telegraphy apparatus confiscated under
the provision of subsection (3) of Section 6, and all wireless telegraphy
apparatus having no ostensible owner shall be the property of the Central
Government.
9. [Repealed]
10. Power of Central Government to
make rules. -
(l) The Central Government may,
by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the purpose of carrying
into effect the provisions of this Act.
(2) In
particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power,
such rules may provide for-
(i) Determining
that any article or class of article shall be or shall not be wireless
telegraphy apparatus for the purposes of this Act;
(ii) The
exemption of persons or classes of persons under Section 4 from the provisions
of this Act;
(iii) The
manner of and the conditions governing the issue, renewal, suspension and
cancellation of licences, the form of licences and the payments to be made for
the issue and renewal of licences
(iv) The
maintenance of records containing details of the acquisition and disposal by
sale or otherwise of wireless telegraphy apparatus possessed by dealers ill
wireless telegraphy apparatus;
(v) The
conditions governing the sale of wireless telegraphy apparatus by dealers in
and manufacturers of such apparatus.
(3) In
making a rule under this section the Central Government may direct that a
breach of it shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to one hundred
rupees.
(4) Every
rule made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made
before each House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of
thirty days which may be comprised in one session or 1[in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the
expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive
sessions aforesaid] both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or
both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter
have effect only it) such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be;
so, however, that ally such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice
to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
1. Subs.
by Act No. 4 of 1986.
11. Saving of
Indian Telegraphy Act, 1885. -Nothing in this Act
contained shall authorise the doing of anything prohibited under the Indian Telegraphy
Act, 1885, and no licence issued under this Act shall authorise any person to
do anything for the doing of which a licence or permission) under the Indian
Telegraphy Act, 1885, is necessary.