There are new rules to prevail for all the SIM card sellers in India, and the government should tighten the policy for the same SIM Verification. The Department of Telecom(DoT), responsible for issuing and using SIM cards, has made a new set of rules for all SIM card vendors, which is all about how people buy and use SIMs. The government has issued two circulars announcing all the rules regarding the selling and using SIM cards.
One circular is about the users and the individual holding the SIM Verification, and another circular is for telecom companies like Airtel, Jio, and others. This is not the first time that DoT has issued new rules for the betterment of the users. This time, these rules are all about discarding the bulk issuance of connections, verification of the dealers, etc. The DoT directive said,
“For provisioning of telecommunication services, if a licensee is appointing PoS (point of sale) to enroll customers, then in the interest of the security of the nation, it shall be mandatory for the licensee to register such PoS (each franchisee, agent & distributor to be registered separately) before permitting them to enroll the customers,”
All You Need to Know About the New Rules Regarding SIM Cards
It is clear that this set of new rules is for protecting users from rising cybercrime. Regarding the same, the Union Minister of Telecommunication, Electronics, and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said in one of the interviews, “On the occasion of World Telecom Day in May, three customer-focused reforms were released. Now, in addition to that, we have decided to come up with two more reforms. These are purely focused on user protection and reducing cyber fraud cases,” he further added the government had deactivated more than 52 lakh connections for forged methods, and thousands of dealers have been ostracized, including 300 FIRs for cyber fraud for SIM Verification .
Telecom companies are supposed to keep a watch on the dealer selling their SIMs—everything you need to know under this fresh allotment of rules.
Verification of the Seller
All the SIM card Verification vendors in India need proper registration and thorough KYC by the companies. In case of violation of the same, the companies will be fined Rs. 10 lakhs per shop. In States like Kashmir, Assam, and North Eastern states, vendors are supposed to complete police verification and biometric verification.
Complying Window
The government has given 12 months to all the existing vendors to abide by the new rules for SIM Verification. This procedure will ensure the vendor’s identity or if they are to be blacklisted or eliminated from the lot.
Collection of Demographic Data
The customer will have to give their demographic data by scanning the QR on their Aadhar cards if they want to apply for a new SIM or re-issue a SIM verification on an existing number.
Bulk Issue of SIM
Bulk connection of SIM Verification has been discontinued and replaced by business connections by the Department of Telecom. The KYC of the business and the person to whom the SIM is allotted is mandatory. Also, 9 SIMs per person are allowed.
Discontinuation of SIM Verification
After discontinuing the SIM card, it will be allocated to a new customer within 90 days. If the customer wants a replacement, they need to go through the process of KYC.
The vendors have to abide by the new rules from 1 October 2023, and the existing vendors have to do their KYC by 30 September 2024. This was everything you should know about this new rule by the government. For such informative updates, keep yourself hooked to our Tech Updates.
Aanchal is a family-oriented person who loves to spend time with her family. Her reserved demeanour allows her to reflect deeply on her thoughts and make well-thought-out decisions. She profoundly loves diplomatic studies and wishes to explore more about diverse cultures and languages worldwide. In her spare time, she reads or writes poetry prompts in her journal.
Aanchal Das
