High Court for one person, one prepaid SIM to combat cybercrime
Saurabh Malik
Chandigarh, June 2
It may send bells ringing, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for a change in the telecommunication policy, it has suggested ‘one person, one prepaid number’. The exceptional proposition aims to disconnect the society from the growing menace of cybercrime.
Justice Anoop Chitkara also suggested hanging up on the issue of call routing via international cellular networks and the internet by implementing default blocking of incoming calls with international country codes. The subscribers, at the same time, could be given the option to opt-in at their discretion.
“This strategy guarantees that subscribers exclusively receive calls pertinent to their geographical context. For instance, individuals devoid of overseas acquaintances or relations may question the necessity of receiving calls originating from international codes featuring prefixes such as +91 or +00. Conversely, subscribers who have traveled internationally or maintain connections abroad retain the flexibility to activate incoming calls from specific countries,” Justice Chitkara asserted.
“Why does the Ministry of Telecommunication permit individuals, firms, or companies to acquire multiple prepaid SIM cards under their name? Given the aadhaar card is exclusively linked to a single SIM card for OTP generation, there seems to be no justification for the issuance of multiple prepaid SIM cards, Justice Chitkara said. Justice Chitkara asserted that parents and caretakers could be given an option to obtain prepaid SIM cards associated with their Aadhaar cards. Similarly, foreign nationals should be entitled to acquire a single prepaid SIM card, contingent upon the verification and validation of their passports through OTP.
Cyber Solution
One potential immediate solution could involve limiting the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards per individual. These prepaid SIM cards could be programmed to automatically disconnect upon the individual’s death being recorded in official records. — Justice Anoop Chitkara
