New SIM Card Rule: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sent a significant directive to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) last month mandating Aadhaar-based biometric verification for every new SIM card. The aim is to stop the increasing use of mobile connections acquired under false documentation—often used for fraud and illicit activity. These documents are obtained under false names.
The new guidelines are what?
According to a Money Control analysis, people used to be able to obtain a new SIM card using simply a government ID such as a voter ID or passport. Every new connection now, though, depends on biometric verification using Aadhaar. Telecom stores cannot sell SIM cards without following this procedure anymore. The system will also check for several connections under several names and track how many SIM cards each person has registered under. Customers will even have to have their picture shot from ten various angles.
This ruling followed a review of the telecom industry revealing financial frauds driven by fake SIM cards. Multiple SIM cards connected to a single device were discovered by investigations, which is against the rules and fuels cybercrime. The PMO instructed the DoT to work closely with law enforcement and apply artificial intelligence tools to identify and punish those accountable to address this. Retailers caught printing SIM cards with fictitious paperwork will suffer dire penalties.
The government’s new rules are obviously a direct path to combat cybercrime and guarantee better mobile connections. The likelihood of fraud using unverified SIM cards should be much reduced with Aadhaar verification in place. This action also imposes stricter regulations on SIM card issuing and tracking nationwide.
