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

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 [S1][S2].
• 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 [S1].
• Sanchar Saathi mobile app crossed 50 lakh downloads in ~6 months after its 17 January 2025 launch on Android & iOS [S3][S5].
• RBI advisory directing banks to integrate DoT's FRI into their fraud-prevention workflows [S6].

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) [S1][S4].
• 2023: DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) launched by MoC Ashwini Vaishnaw for stakeholder coordination against telecom misuse [S7].
• March 2024: Chakshu facility added on Sanchar Saathi for reporting suspected fraud communications [S4].
• 2025: FRI rolled out; RBI advisory to banks/UPI providers to act on FRI tags [S6].
• 17 Jan 2025: Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched in Hindi + 21 regional languages [S2][S3].

4. Core Static Facts

• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Communications → Department of Telecommunications (DoT) [S1].
• 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 [S1].
• FRI tiers: Medium / High / Very High risk classification of a mobile number for financial fraud — consumed by banks, UPI/TPAPs [S1][S6].
• DIP onboarding: 1000+ banks, TPAPs and financial institutions onboarded on DIP [S8].
• Multilingual reach: Hindi + 21 regional languages [S2].
• Sanchar Mitra Scheme: Student-volunteer outreach component [S2].
• Outreach channels: social media, news, digital screens, hoardings, TV/radio, SMS campaigns [S2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Economic — >₹1,000 crore of fraud transactions prevented based on alerts/declines reported by stakeholders [S2]; 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 [S1][S6].
• Social — 21 regional languages + Hindi lowers the digital-literacy barrier; Sanchar Mitra uses NSS-style student volunteers [S2].
• Administrative / Federal — Inter-agency coordination: DoT–MHA's I4C–RBI–Banks–LEAs–TSPs; DoT–FIU-IND MoU (2025) for sharing fraud intel [S9].
• 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 [S10].
• Strategic / Security — Tackles WhatsApp/OTT impersonation, international spoofed calls — DoT–WhatsApp partnership (Mar 2025) [S11].

6. Recent Developments (12–18 months)

• 17 Jan 2025: Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched (Android + iOS), Hindi + 21 languages [S3].
• Mar 2025: DoT–WhatsApp partnership against digital frauds [S11].
• 2025: RBI advisory to banks to integrate FRI [S6].
• 2025: DoT–FIU-IND MoU on cyber-crime/financial fraud intel sharing [S9].
• 2025: 1.36 crore unauthorised connections disconnected via TAFCOP; >29 lakh numbers acted on via Chakshu; cumulative 2.67 crore disconnections [S10].
• 04 Feb 2026: Lok Sabha written reply detailing FRI + multilingual campaign [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Sanchar Saathi = portal + mobile app of DoT, Ministry of Communications [S1].
• Chakshu = facility under Sanchar Saathi to report suspected fraud calls/SMS/WhatsApp messages [S4].
• TAFCOP module → "Know Your Mobile Connections" (mobile numbers issued in your name) [S1].
• CEIR module → block lost/stolen mobile handsets [S1].
• DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform) launched by Ashwini Vaishnaw, 2023 [S7].
• FRI classifies mobile numbers into Medium / High / Very High risk [S1].
• RBI has advised banks to integrate FRI [S6].
• Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched 17 January 2025, in Hindi + 21 regional languages [S2][S3].
• App crossed 50 lakh downloads in ~6 months [S3].
• Fraud prevented (stakeholder-reported): >₹1,000 crore [S2].
• 2.67 crore mobile connections disconnected cumulatively [S10].
• DoT signed MoU with FIU-IND for fraud intel sharing [S9].
• Sanchar Mitra Scheme uses student volunteers for outreach [S2].
• 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.

11. Sources

• [S1] DoT actively promoting digital safety… (PRID 2223257), PIB, 04 Feb 2026 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2223257 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] Chakshu facility of Sanchar Saathi — PRID 2223779, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2223779 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] Sanchar Saathi Mobile App crosses 50 lakh downloads — PRID 2154606, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2154606 — (tier: 1)
• [S4] Fraud Risk Indicator — PRID 2153065, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2153065 — (tier: 1)
• [S5] New Sanchar Saathi Mobile App — PRID 2093732, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2093732 — (tier: 1)
• [S6] RBI advises banks to integrate FRI — PRID 2141616, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2141616 — (tier: 1)
• [S7] MoC launches DIP — PRID 2011383, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2011383 — (tier: 1)
• [S8] 1000+ banks onboarded on DIP — PRID 2207376, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2207376 — (tier: 1)
• [S9] DoT–FIU-IND MoU — PRID 2171135, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2171135 — (tier: 1)
• [S10] Over 13.6 Million Mobile Numbers disconnected — PRID 2150206, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2150206 — (tier: 1)
• [S11] DoT–WhatsApp partnership — PRID 2112016, PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2112016 — (tier: 1)