GUWAHATI: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has reportedly issued a directive to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), requiring Aadhaar-based biometric verification for all new SIM card activations. This measure is aimed at combating the growing misuse of mobile connections acquired through fraudulent documents, often linked to financial scams and other criminal activities.
Under the updated guidelines, Aadhaar biometric authentication is now reportedly mandatory for obtaining a new SIM card.
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Previously, users could provide alternative government-issued IDs such as voter IDs or passports. However, this change eliminates those options, mandating strict compliance from retailers. Sellers are explicitly barred from issuing SIM cards without completing the Aadhaar-based verification process.
The directive reportedly stems from a recent telecom sector review, where officials flagged the role of unverified SIM cards in enabling cybercrimes. Investigations uncovered cases of multiple SIM cards being linked to a single device, breaching telecom regulations and facilitating fraudulent activities.
To tackle these challenges, the PMO has reportedly instructed the DoT to collaborate with law enforcement agencies and utilise advanced AI tools to detect and penalise offenders. Retailers issuing SIM cards using forged documents will face severe penalties.
By enforcing Aadhaar-based verification, the risk of fraud involving unverified mobile numbers is expected to decline significantly. Additionally, the new system ensures stricter oversight of SIM card issuance and better tracking mechanisms nationwide.