In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of a digitally empowered India, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Communications, Railways, and Electronics and IT, officially unveiled the Sanchar Saathi portal. The portal, launched today, aims to prioritize the safety and security of users by introducing three key systems aligned with the Prime Minister's vision.
Central Equipment Identity Register
The first is the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), a centralized system that allows for the blocking of stolen or lost mobile devices. By leveraging CEIR, users can report their stolen or lost phones, subsequently rendering them inoperable within the Indian telecom network.
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Know your mobile connections
The second, "Know your mobile connections," empowers users to identify the mobile connections registered under their names. This feature provides users with transparency and control over their registered connections, enhancing their ability to identify any unauthorized or unnecessary connections.
Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition-powered Solution
The third system is the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition-powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR). This advanced solution is designed to detect and prevent fraudulent subscribers, effectively reducing instances of identity theft, forged KYC, and other mobile phone-related frauds.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the significance of the Sanchar Saathi portal in curbing frauds facilitated through mobile devices. He emphasized that the misuse of mobile phones can lead to various fraudulent activities, including identity theft and banking frauds. The portal's development is a proactive measure to prevent such incidents, ensuring user safety and bolstering the forthcoming Telecom bill.
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Since its inception, the Sanchar Saathi portal has made notable progress in identifying and disconnecting fraudulent connections. Over 40 lakh (4 million) fraudulent connections have been identified, with more than 36 lakh (3.6 million) connections already being disconnected, DoT said in its statement.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged users to visit the Sanchar Saathi portal and take advantage of its services. The portal can be accessed through the link: sancharsaathi.gov.in
Indian Telecommunications Landscape
According to the statement, India's telecommunications landscape boasts 117 crore (1.17 billion) subscribers, making it the second-largest telecom ecosystem worldwide. With mobile phones serving as essential tools for communication, banking, entertainment, e-learning, healthcare, and government services, it becomes imperative to safeguard users from potential threats, including identity theft, forged KYC, mobile device theft, and banking frauds.
To address these concerns, the Department of Telecom has developed the Sanchar Saathi portal as a citizen-centric platform. The portal equips citizens with the ability to:
- Check the mobile connections registered under their names.
- Report fraudulent or unnecessary connections.
- Block stolen or lost mobile devices.
- Verify the genuineness of mobile phones' International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) before making a purchase.
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The entire Sanchar Saathi portal has been designed in-house by the Department of Telecom and comprises four distinct modules, including the Centralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), Know Your Mobile, Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP), and the ASTR solution.
