In a bid to curb cyber fraud and prevent criminal activities, the central government has announced a new set of rules for SIM verification. According to the new norms, the government has discontinued the issue of bulk connections and made verification mandatory for the dealers selling SIM cards. The Union Minister for Communications, Electronics, and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw during a recent press conference announced that the government deactivated over 52 lakh connections received through fraudulent methods. More than 67,000 dealers who were found responsible for these connections have also been blacklisted. Around 300 FIRs have been filed against those involved.
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Mandatory verification for SIM vendors
According to the new rules, all SIM card vendors will have to go through police and biometric verification, along with mandatory registration. The verification process of SIM dealers will be conducted by the telecom operator. In case a vendor is found violating these rules, they will be fined with a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.
Deadline for SIM verification
The government has given a 12-month window to SIM vendors for completing the registration norms. The verification is expected to help in the elimination of rogue sellers.
Demographic data collection
Now, coming to the KYC reforms, when someone takes new SIM cards or applies for a fresh SIM on an existing number, their demographic details will be obtained by scanning the QR code of the printed Aadhaar card.
Ban On Bulk Issue Of SIM Cards
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also disallowed bulk issues of SIMs and has moved towards the concept of business connections. Along with KYC verification of businesses, the KYC of the person taking the SIM is also compulsory. A person is allowed to take up to nine SIMs on one ID.
Disconnection of SIM
In case a SIM is disconnected, the mobile number will be allocated to a new customer 90 days after the disconnection. In case of replacement, the subscriber will have to go through the KYC process.
For the unversed, another set of reforms was announced earlier this year. The government launched the Sanchar Saathi portal for reporting stolen or lost mobile handsets and thereafter blocking them. An AI-based software ASTR has also been brought to use to identify illegal mobile connections.
