New Delhi, 16 January 2025: Aadhaar-based biometric verification has been made mandatory for all new SIM card connections, following a directive from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The move aims to curb the misuse of mobile connections issued through fake documents, a practice linked to financial scams and cybercrime.
Previously, customers could use government-issued IDs like voter IDs or passports to obtain a SIM card, but biometric verification was only required for activation.
Under the new rules, retailers are prohibited from selling SIM cards without Aadhaar-based authentication.
The decision follows a recent review of the telecom sector, where fake SIM cards were found to facilitate scams and cybercrime.
Investigations revealed that multiple SIM cards were linked to single devices, violating telecom norms and enabling fraudulent activities.
The PMO has also directed the DoT to collaborate with law enforcement to identify offenders and take strict action against retailers involved in issuing illegal SIM cards.
These measures represent the government’s intensified crackdown on cybercrime and telecom-related fraud.
