DoT to Enforce Nine-SIM Limit Per Subscriber Using Photo Verification

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) initiated a nationwide drive to strictly enforce the maximum limit of nine mobile connections per individual subscriber. To curb illegal SIM trading and cyber fraud, telecom service providers will now deploy photo-based facial recognition and AI verification algorithms to identify and deactivate excess SIM cards issued against a single individual's identity credentials.

Telecom subscriber verification guidelines issued in 2012 cap individual mobile connections at nine nationwide (and six connections for telecom circles in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and the North East). Despite these rules, cyber criminals and mule account operators frequently exploit forged identity documents to secure dozens of SIM cards, facilitating financial scams and phishing networks.

The DoT's Sanchar Saathi portal plays a central role in this enforcement, enabling citizens to check registered mobile connections linked to their identity numbers. Operators failing to comply with re-verification directives within stipulated timelines face severe financial penalties per illegal SIM, while defaulted numbers will be permanently disconnected across all mobile networks.

Cybersecurity, digital governance, and telecom regulations are recurring topics in SSC and UPSC examinations. Prelims candidates should know about the Sanchar Saathi initiative, DoT connection limits, and biometric verification norms. In Mains GS Paper III (Internal Security), this measure highlights institutional strategies to dismantle cybercrime infrastructure and safeguard digital financial ecosystems.