New Delhi, Mar 27: Now, mobile phone users in the country will have to take up a verification process which will require them to produce their Aadhaar card number. With the government instructing telecom operators to initiate the process in this regard, existing subscribers will also have to go through mandatory Aadhaar-based verification to continue using the service. "All licensees (telecom operators) shall re-verify all exiting mobile subscribers (prepaid and postpaid) through Aadhaar-based eKYC process (a paperless Know Your Customer process)," according to a Department of Telecom notification.
The Cellular Operators Association of India has backed the move and aims to complete the exercise within one year. "The issue of fake subscribers will go away. We will try our best to cover the entire base within the stipulated timeframe of one year but in case we cannot, we may ask DoT for an extension," COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said.
Members of COAI expect modalities of rolling out the verification process for over a billion users to cost the operators nearly Rs. 1,000 crore for infrastructure and training. Licensees will have to inform existing subscribers - through advertisements in print and electronic media and SMS - about the Supreme Court order for the re-verification.
The Supreme Court had in an order in February observed that "an effective process has been evolved to ensure the identity verification, as well as, the addresses of all mobile phone subscribers for the new subscribers".
The telecom operators have also been asked to upload the details of the Aadhaar exercise on their website. The Department of Telecom has said they will use and share a common device ecosystem through mutual agreements. The operators will also work out mechanisms to avoid public inconvenience and long queues, it added.
For re-verification through an Aadhaar-based eKYC process, operators will send a verification code to subscribers on their mobiles. Prior to starting the eKYC process, the operator will verify this code from the subscriber so as to confirm the SIM card of the mobile connection is physically available with the user. "After the completion of the eKYC process, before updating or overwriting the old subscriber detail in database with the data received through eKYC process, the licensee will seek confirmation from the subscriber about the re-verification of his/her mobile number after 24 hours through SMS," the notification said.
Verification of a subscriber would not be required in case of conversions - pre-paid to postpaid connections or vice versa - it added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday said Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for availing benefits under social welfare schemes. The government also said recently that Aadhaar cards will be made mandatory for filing tax returns and applying for driving licences.
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