Lok Sabha Question No. 1787 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Awareness, Infrastructure and Enforcement Support
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1787 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## AWARENESS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT

## 1787.   ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  issued  the  Telecommunications  (Telecom  Cyber  security) Amendment Rules,  2025  (G.S.R.  771(E))  on  22  October  2025,  imposing  stricter  norms  to  curb telecom fraud and ensure network security and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of SIM cards, IMEIs and network identifiers blocked or flagged under the new rules till date;
- (c) the manner in which the Government proposes to ensure that remote/tribal districts (such as in  Maharashtra)  receive  awareness,  infrastructure  and  enforcement  support  to  benefit  from  safe telecom services;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  allocated  special  grants  or  imparted  training  for  telecomoperators and local enforcement in tribal regions to handle cyber risks in communication networks and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the  role  of  the  Ministry  in  coordinating  with  State  administrations  and  telecom  service providers to ensure effective roll-out of the validation platform and compliance audits; and
- (f) the timeline by which the Government expects full-scale implementation of the rules across all  service  providers  including  reporting  State-wise  results  for  Maharashtra's  tribal-dominated habitations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) Yes, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has notified the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Amendment Rules, 2025 on 22 nd October 2025.

(b) The provisions for reverification and disconnection of numbers existed prior to these rules and were governed by licensing conditions and instructions issued thereof. DoT has developed a citizen centric initiative Sanchar Saathi which provides facilities including suspected fraud reporting, block your lost/ stolen mobile handset, check mobile connections in your name & report unauthorized ones and check genuineness of mobile handset. Based on report of citizens as 'Not My Number', 1.44  crore  mobile  connections  have  been  disconnected  after  failing  reverification.  Further,  DoT through its ASTR tool detects mobile connections that were acquired through forged documents and has disconnected more than 86 lakhs such connections after they failed reverification.

(c) & (d) DoT  is  promoting  digital  safety  and  preventing  telecom-related  fraud  through widespread  awareness  campaigns  under  Sanchar  Saathi.  Its  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 Telecom Service Providers, and extensive social media content such as explainer videos and infographics. Sanchar Mitras, who are 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.

(e) DoT  is undertaking necessary coordination with the relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the Rules.

(f) The Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Amendment Rules, 2025 are in force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette i.e. 22 nd October 2025.

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