·PIB

DoT is actively promoting digital safety and preventing telecom-related frauds through widespread multilingual awareness campaigns

In this note
  1. At a Glance
  2. Why in the News
  3. Background & Evolution
  4. Core Static Facts
  5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis
  6. Recent Developments (12–18 months)
  7. Prelims Hooks
  8. Mains Relevance
  9. Related Topics to Study Next
  10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

1. At a Glance

  • Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, runs a citizen-centric digital safety push anchored on the Sanchar Saathi platform plus a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) and multilingual outreach [1][2].
  • Examinable as a GS-II governance / GS-III internal security & cyber security theme tying together fintech, telecom misuse, and consumer protection.

2. Why in the News

  • 04 Feb 2026: MoS Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar told Lok Sabha (unstarred Q) that DoT is running widespread multilingual awareness campaigns and has developed an FRI that flags mobile numbers as medium/high/very-high risk of financial fraud [1].
  • Sanchar Saathi mobile app crossed 50 lakh downloads in ~6 months after its 17 January 2025 launch on Android & iOS [3][5].
  • RBI advisory directing banks to integrate DoT's FRI into their fraud-prevention workflows [6].

3. Background & Evolution

  • 2023: Sanchar Saathi web portal (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in) launched with modules CEIR (lost/stolen handsets), TAFCOP (Know Your Mobile Connections), Chakshu (report suspected fraud calls/SMS) [1][4].
  • 2023: DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) launched by MoC Ashwini Vaishnaw for stakeholder coordination against telecom misuse [7].
  • March 2024: Chakshu facility added on Sanchar Saathi for reporting suspected fraud communications [4].
  • 2025: FRI rolled out; RBI advisory to banks/UPI providers to act on FRI tags [6].
  • 17 Jan 2025: Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched in Hindi + 21 regional languages [2][3].

4. Core Static Facts

  • Parent Ministry: Ministry of Communications → Department of Telecommunications (DoT) [1].
  • Statutory backdrop: Telecommunications Act, 2023; Indian Telegraph Act 1885 (legacy); IT Act 2000 (cyber overlap).
  • Sanchar Saathi modules: CEIR, TAFCOP/Know Your Mobile, Chakshu, Report Incoming International Calls with Indian Number [1].
  • FRI tiers: Medium / High / Very High risk classification of a mobile number for financial fraud — consumed by banks, UPI/TPAPs [1][6].
  • DIP onboarding: 1000+ banks, TPAPs and financial institutions onboarded on DIP [8].
  • Multilingual reach: Hindi + 21 regional languages [2].
  • Sanchar Mitra Scheme: Student-volunteer outreach component [2].
  • Outreach channels: social media, news, digital screens, hoardings, TV/radio, SMS campaigns [2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

  • Economic — >₹1,000 crore of fraud transactions prevented based on alerts/declines reported by stakeholders [2]; protects digital-economy trust at a time of rapid UPI scale-up.
  • Scientific/Technological — FRI is an analytics-based risk score fed into bank/UPI pipelines via DIP; integrates telecom subscriber data with financial rails [1][6].
  • Social — 21 regional languages + Hindi lowers the digital-literacy barrier; Sanchar Mitra uses NSS-style student volunteers [2].
  • Administrative / Federal — Inter-agency coordination: DoT–MHA's I4C–RBI–Banks–LEAs–TSPs; DoT–FIU-IND MoU (2025) for sharing fraud intel [9].
  • Ethical / Rights — Tension between fraud-prevention disconnections (~2.67 crore numbers cut) and due process for genuine subscribers; flags Section 7/8 RTI-style transparency on FRI scoring [10].
  • Strategic / Security — Tackles WhatsApp/OTT impersonation, international spoofed calls — DoT–WhatsApp partnership (Mar 2025) [11].

6. Recent Developments (12–18 months)

  • 17 Jan 2025: Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched (Android + iOS), Hindi + 21 languages [3].
  • Mar 2025: DoT–WhatsApp partnership against digital frauds [11].
  • 2025: RBI advisory to banks to integrate FRI [6].
  • 2025: DoT–FIU-IND MoU on cyber-crime/financial fraud intel sharing [9].
  • 2025: 1.36 crore unauthorised connections disconnected via TAFCOP; >29 lakh numbers acted on via Chakshu; cumulative 2.67 crore disconnections [10].
  • 04 Feb 2026: Lok Sabha written reply detailing FRI + multilingual campaign [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

  • Sanchar Saathi = portal + mobile app of DoT, Ministry of Communications [1].
  • Chakshu = facility under Sanchar Saathi to report suspected fraud calls/SMS/WhatsApp messages [4].
  • TAFCOP module → "Know Your Mobile Connections" (mobile numbers issued in your name) [1].
  • CEIR module → block lost/stolen mobile handsets [1].
  • DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform) launched by Ashwini Vaishnaw, 2023 [7].
  • FRI classifies mobile numbers into Medium / High / Very High risk [1].
  • RBI has advised banks to integrate FRI [6].
  • Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched 17 January 2025, in Hindi + 21 regional languages [2][3].
  • App crossed 50 lakh downloads in ~6 months [3].
  • Fraud prevented (stakeholder-reported): >₹1,000 crore [2].
  • 2.67 crore mobile connections disconnected cumulatively [10].
  • DoT signed MoU with FIU-IND for fraud intel sharing [9].
  • Sanchar Mitra Scheme uses student volunteers for outreach [2].
  • Governing statute: Telecommunications Act, 2023 (not the 1885 Telegraph Act anymore for new powers).

8. Mains Relevance

  • GS-II: Governance — e-governance, citizen-centric services, awareness campaigns.
  • GS-III: Internal security — cyber security, money laundering linkages; role of agencies (I4C, FIU-IND, RBI, DoT).
  • Plausible stems: 1. "Cyber fraud prevention in India requires institutional convergence rather than siloed action." Examine in the light of Sanchar Saathi, DIP and FRI. 2. "Multilingual digital outreach is a precondition for inclusive cyber-security." Discuss with reference to DoT's recent initiatives. 3. Evaluate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) as a public-private data-sharing mechanism between telecom and banking.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

  • Telecommunications Act, 2023 — overarching statutory backbone.
  • Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under MHA — complementary fraud-intel node.
  • FIU-IND (under DoR) — financial intelligence partner via MoU.
  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — privacy implications of FRI scoring.
  • UPI ecosystem & NPCI fraud-control norms — downstream consumer of FRI.
  • CERT-In (under MeitY) — incident response complement.
  • TRAI regulations on UCC / Spam — adjacent regulatory layer.
  • National Cyber Security Policy 2013 / upcoming strategy — macro frame.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

  • Sanchar Saathi is run by DoT (MoC), not MeitY or MHA's I4C.
  • Chakshu ≠ CEIR ≠ TAFCOP — different modules; don't conflate.
  • DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform) ≠ the publicly visible Sanchar Saathi portal — DIP is the back-end stakeholder platform.
  • FRI is developed by DoT, then operationalised via RBI advisory to banks — RBI did not create it.
  • The 2023 Telecommunications Act (not the colonial 1885 Telegraph Act) is the modern enabling law.

Sources

  1. 1DoT actively promoting digital safety… (PRID 2223257), PIB, 04 Feb 2026pib.gov.in · tier 1
  2. 2Chakshu facility of Sanchar Saathi — PRID 2223779, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  3. 3Sanchar Saathi Mobile App crosses 50 lakh downloads — PRID 2154606, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  4. 4Fraud Risk Indicator — PRID 2153065, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  5. 5New Sanchar Saathi Mobile App — PRID 2093732, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  6. 6RBI advises banks to integrate FRI — PRID 2141616, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  7. 7MoC launches DIP — PRID 2011383, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  8. 81000+ banks onboarded on DIP — PRID 2207376, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  9. 9DoT–FIU-IND MoU — PRID 2171135, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  10. 10Over 13.6 Million Mobile Numbers disconnected — PRID 2150206, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1
  11. 11DoT–WhatsApp partnership — PRID 2112016, PIBpib.gov.in · tier 1

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