Stricter prepaid SIM card rules

The Supreme Court today set up an expert panel to examine the feasibility of imposing stricter norms for selling prepaid SIM (subscriber identity module) cards. Two members each from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the department of telecom (DoT) will be the members of the committee, which will submit its report in three months, said a bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia. The DoT will then consider the recommendations. In 2010, the department of telecom, in consultation with the home ministry, had issued mobile connection guidelines, which called for strict adherence to the customer acquisition form while issuing SIM cards. However, mobile firms have been unable to adhere to the strict rules, which emphasized on updating the subscriber details in their database and activation of the SIM only by authorized persons. The rules also required companies to revivify subscribers when they changed their tariff plans. Also no customer shall be given more than one prepaid or post-paid connection. If an individual wants more than one connection, the person has to give reasons. Last month, the telecom regulator had argued in favour of easing of the guidelines, pleading before the Supreme Court that the new norms will put “unnecessary burden” on operators as well as subscribers.