**Executive Summary**
This document, dated December 17, 2023, from the Ministry of Communications, addresses the liability of mobile subscribers concerning SIM misuse and cybersecurity. It highlights the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) efforts to promote digital safety and prevent telecom-related fraud through awareness campaigns under the Sanchar Saathi initiative, as well as legal provisions and regulations designed to protect telecommunication identifiers and prevent cyber security offences. The document also highlights the DoT mandate for Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to verify customers thoroughly.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legal Provisions and Offences:**
* Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, obtaining SIMs or other telecommunication identifiers through fraud is an offense.
* Tampering with telecommunication identifiers and possessing radio equipment using unauthorized identifiers are also offenses.
* Telecom Cyber Security Rules prohibit altering telecommunication equipment identification numbers.
* **Verification Mandate for Telecom Service Providers (TSPs):**
* DoT mandates TSPs to ensure adequate verification of each customer before enrolment.
* **Sanchar Saathi Initiative:**
* DoT has developed a citizen-centric Sanchar Saathi portal and App to facilitate citizens checking the genuineness of mobile handsets via IMEI.
* The initiative includes explainer videos and infographics on DoT's social media platforms.
* The Sanchar Mitra scheme engages student volunteers to educate citizens about digital safety.
* Citizen outreach includes multilingual news articles, digital screens, TV/radio messages, and SMS campaigns.
* Sanchar Saathi enables citizens to report suspected misuse of telecom resources in cyber frauds, helping to protect vulnerable users and enabling action against offenders.
**Impact Analysis**
**Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)**
* **Impact:** TSPs are directly impacted by the mandatory verification requirements for enrolling new subscribers.
* **Action Required:** TSPs must ensure adequate verification of each customer before enrolment, as per the DoT's mandate.
**Mobile Subscribers/Citizens**
* **Impact:** Citizens are impacted by the legal provisions regarding SIM misuse and the initiatives aimed at increasing digital safety and preventing fraud.
* **Action Required:** Citizens are encouraged to use the Sanchar Saathi portal/app to check the genuineness of their mobile handsets, report suspected misuse of telecom resources, and be aware of digital safety practices.
Key Entities Referenced
Telecommunications Act, 2023: Indian law that defines offenses related to subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and telecommunication identifiers.
Sanchar Saathi initiative: An initiative by DoT promoting digital safety and preventing telecom-related fraud through awareness campaigns and a citizen-centric portal.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT): The department responsible for promoting digital safety, preventing telecom-related fraud, and ensuring subscriber verification.
Telecom Cyber Security Rules: Rules prohibiting the tampering of telecommunication equipment identification numbers.
Sanchar Mitra scheme: A scheme under which student volunteers educate citizens about digital safety, fraud prevention, and the use of the Sanchar Saathi portal and app.
Ministry of Communications
Liability of Mobile Subscribers for Sim Misuse
and Cybersecurity
DoT is promoting digital safety and preventing telecom-
related fraud through widespread awareness campaigns
under Sanchar Saathi initiative
प्रव तथ: 17 DEC 2025 5:12PM by PIB Delhi
Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a
written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha today, said that as per sub-section 42(3)(e) of the
Telecommunications Act, 2023, obtaining subscriber identity modules or other telecommunication
identifiers through fraud, cheating or personation is an offence. 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State
subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Government has made necessary legal provisions under sub-section 42(3)(c) and sub-section 42(3)(f) of
the Telecommunications Act, 2023 making tampering with telecommunication identifiers and willfully
possessing radio equipment knowing that it uses unauthorized or tampered telecommunication identifiers
as offences. In addition, Telecom Cyber Security Rules prohibit any person to intentionally remove,
obliterate, change, or alter the unique telecommunication equipment identification number or intentionally
use, produce, traffic in, have control or custody of, or possess hardware or software related to the
telecommunication identifier or telecommunication equipment, knowing it has been configured in such
manner.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through license conditions, has mandated that the Telecom
Service Providers (TSPs) ensure adequate verification of each and every customer before enrolling them
as a subscriber.
DoT has developed a citizen centric Sanchar Saathi portal and App which, inter-alia, facilitates citizens to
check genuineness of mobile handset through International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). DoT is
promoting digital safety and preventing telecom-related fraud through widespread awareness campaigns
under Sanchar Saathi initiative. Explainer videos and infographics regarding IMEI verification have been
prepared and uploaded on the DoT’s social media platforms. DoT has also launched Sanchar Mitra
scheme, through which student volunteers have been engaged to educate citizens about digital safety,
fraud prevention, and the use of the Sanchar Saathi portal and app. Their involvement helps deepen
awareness at the grassroots level, especially through communication in local languages. Apart from above,
citizen outreach includes multilingual news articles and ads, digital screens and hoardings in public
spaces, TV and radio messages, local-level activities by DoT field units, SMS campaigns with TSPs, and
extensive social media content.
Sanchar Saathi also helps in ‘Jan bhagidari’ by all citizens in reporting suspected misuse of telecom
resources in cyber frauds. By making it easy to report such suspected fraud communications, Sanchar
Saathi allows those who understand the risk to actively protect those who do not, enabling authorities &telecom operators to identify patterns and take action on offending numbers & fake connections thus
holding offenders accountable while protecting innocent subscribers.
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MI/ARJ
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