Communication Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed on 17 August 2023 that the government has introduced measures to enhance security in the mobile SIM card distribution process.
- Biometric verification of mobile SIM card dealers will now be mandatory.
- The bulk connection mechanism for SIM cards will be discontinued.
- Registration will also be compulsory for all point-of-sale dealers to ensure transparency.
- These decisions aim to prevent cyber frauds, fraudulent calls, and protect users.
- The Sanchar Sathi Portal has been instrumental in detecting and deactivating 52 lakh fraudulent connections.
- Approximately 67 thousand SIM card dealers have been blacklisted due to fraudulent activities.
- Legal action has been taken, with 300 FIRs lodged, and measures such as blocking 66 thousand WhatsApp accounts and eight lakh payment wallet accounts.
- In the new initiative, Point of Sale engaging in illegal activities will be terminated and blacklisted for up to 3 years.
- To prevent misuse of printed Aadhaar, demographic details will be captured by scanning the QR code of printed Aadhaar.
Q.: Which portal has played a crucial role in detecting and deactivating fraudulent connections and blacklisting SIM card dealers?
a) CyberGuard Portal
b) SecureSIM Portal
c) Sanchar Sathi Portal
d) FraudBlock Portal
Answer: c) Sanchar Sathi Portal
