Department of Telecommunications has taken various policy and technical measures to strengthen the security of the telecom network in the country

1. At a Glance

• Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has rolled out a layered policy + technical regime (Sanchar Saathi, CEIR, TAFCOP, Chakshu, DIP, TSOC) to combat telecom fraud, spoofed calls and device theft [1][2].
• Backed by the new Telecommunications Act, 2023 and Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 — a flagship example of Suraksha (security) pillar of digital governance, examinable under GS-II (governance) and GS-III (internal security/cyber) [3][4].

2. Why in the News

• 04 February 2026: MoS Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar told Lok Sabha that 27.96 lakh lost/stolen mobile handsets traced and 8.22 lakh recovered via DoT systems; DoT–TSP system now blocks incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• May 2023: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in) [2].
• 2023: DoT launched Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to coordinate stakeholders against telecom-resource misuse in cyber/financial fraud [2].
• 24 Dec 2023: Telecommunications Act, 2023 received Presidential assent; gazetted same day [4].
• 21 Nov 2024: Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 notified under Section 22(1) of the Act [4].
• 2025: Sanchar Saathi mobile app launched (Android/iOS) in Hindi + 21 regional languages; mandated pre-installation on handsets [2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Communications → Department of Telecommunications [1].
• Statutory base: Telecommunications Act, 2023 (replaces Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933) — guiding principles: Samavesh, Suraksha, Vriddhi, Tvarit [4].
• Key Modules of Sanchar Saathi [2]:
• CEIR — Central Equipment Identity Register: blocks/traces lost/stolen handsets by IMEI.
• TAFCOP — Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management & Consumer Protection: lists connections in user's name.

• Chakshu — citizen reporting of suspected fraud calls/SMS/WhatsApp.

• DIP — Digital Intelligence Platform: stakeholder coordination portal [2].

• TSOC — Telecom Security Operation Centre for cyber-threat detection [3].
• ASTR — AI/facial-recognition tool for detecting fake SIM subscribers.
• Key Numbers (as of Feb 2026): 27.96 lakh handsets traced; 8.22 lakh recovered [1]. ~30 lakh blocked via CEIR; 3.87 lakh recovered by police [2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Legal / Constitutional
• Act enacted under Union List Entry 31 (posts, telegraphs, telephones, wireless) [4].
• Section 22 empowers Centre to frame cyber-security rules; Section 20 permits interception on specified grounds (sovereignty, public order) [4].

• Raises Article 21 (privacy — Puttaswamy 2017) concerns over interception scope.

• Scientific / Technological

• ASTR uses AI/face-matching on subscriber photos to detect SIMs taken on forged IDs.
• CEIR uses IMEI-based blocking across all TSP networks [2].

• International spoofed-call detection system uses signalling-layer filters at TSP gateways [1].

• Administrative

• Multi-agency: DoT + TSPs + MHA's I4C + RBI + police; DIP is the convergence layer [2].

• DoT–RPF tie-up to help rail passengers recover lost phones [2].

• Economic — Telecom fraud losses (estimated thousands of crores annually) directly hit digital-payments confidence; recoveries support consumer trust in Digital India stack.

• Ethical / Governance — Trade-off between user privacy and disconnection powers under Cyber Security Rules 2024 (allow temporary suspension of telecom identifiers) [4].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 21 Nov 2024: Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 notified [4].
• 2025: DoT directed handset OEMs to pre-install Sanchar Saathi App for IMEI verification [2].
• 2025: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia chaired Sanchar Saathi stakeholders meet on telecom cyber fraud [2].
• 2025: DoT–Railway Protection Force (RPF) MoU for blocking/tracing/recovery of passenger handsets [2].
• 04 Feb 2026: Lok Sabha reply — 27.96 lakh traced / 8.22 lakh recovered; international spoofed-call blocking system operational [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Sanchar Saathi launched by DoT in May 2023 under Ministry of Communications [2].
• CEIR = Central Equipment Identity Register — blocks by IMEI, not by phone number [2].
• TAFCOP lets a user check how many SIMs are issued in his/her name [2].
• Chakshu module = reporting suspected fraud communications (call/SMS/WhatsApp) [2].
• DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform) launched in 2023 by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw [2].
• TSOC = Telecom Security Operation Centre (not Standards) — detects cyber-threats on Indian telecom networks [3].
• Telecommunications Act, 2023 assented on 24 December 2023 [4].
• Four guiding principles of the Act: Samavesh, Suraksha, Vriddhi, Tvarit [4].
• Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 notified on 21 Nov 2024 under Section 22(1) [4].
• Sanchar Saathi mobile app available in Hindi + 21 regional languages [2].
• As per Lok Sabha (Feb 2026): 27.96 lakh handsets traced; 8.22 lakh recovered [1].
• DoT partnered with Railway Protection Force (RPF) for lost-phone recovery [2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Internal Security — Challenges to internal security through communication networks; basics of cyber security.
• GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
• Likely question stems: 1. "Examine the institutional and technological measures taken by the Department of Telecommunications to secure India's telecom infrastructure from misuse and cyber fraud." (GS-III, 15 marks) 2. "The Telecommunications Act, 2023 attempts to balance national security with subscriber rights. Critically analyse." (GS-II/III) 3. "Citizen-centric platforms like Sanchar Saathi mark a shift from regulator-led to participatory telecom governance. Discuss." (GS-II)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Telecommunications Act, 2023 — replaces 1885 Telegraph Act; statutory parent of these measures.
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under MHA — works with DIP on fraud reporting.
• CERT-In under MeitY — sectoral CERTs incl. CSIRT-Telecom.
• DPDP Act, 2023 — data principal rights intersect with telecom KYC data.
• TRAI — anti-spam regulations, principal entity registration on DLT.
• National Cyber Security Policy 2013 / upcoming Strategy — umbrella policy frame.
• Trusted Telecom Portal & National Security Directive on Telecom (2021) — trusted-source mandate for telecom gear.
• 5G / 6G rollout & security — supply-chain risk from non-trusted vendors.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• CEIR ≠ TAFCOP: CEIR blocks stolen handsets (IMEI); TAFCOP shows SIMs in your name [2].
• Sanchar Saathi is run by DoT, not TRAI or MeitY [2].
• Telecommunications Act assented in 2023, but Cyber Security Rules notified 2024 — both dates examinable [4].
• TSOC (Security Ops Centre) is different from TSDSI (standards body) and C-DOT (R&D).
• Spoofed-call blocking targets international calls displaying Indian numbers (not domestic-origin spam) [1].