NEW DELHI: There could be a fresh KYC headache for over 50 crore mobile connections, or almost half of India’s phone population. They stare at the prospect of disconnection if SIM cards procured on the basis of Aadhaar verification are not backed up by a fresh identification.
The issue has come to the fore following the Supreme Court’s judgment on Aadhaar where the court barred private companies from using an individual’s unique ID for authentication purposes.
The matter is now being discussed at the highest levels in the government, considering the large-scale impact it can have on citizens if phones are disconnected in vast numbers. Officials indicated that the government will give adequate time to complete fresh KYC.
On Wednesday, telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan met mobile companies on the matter where a way out, and an alternative was discussed. The telecom department is also in discussions with the Unique Identification Authority of India over the issue.
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