Trai suggests Aadhaar E-KYC

New Delhi: With growing cases of criminals stealing identities to buy SIM cards, Trai on Monday recommended to telecom department to verify the existing mobile subscribers through Aadhaar based e-KYC.

Trai proposed to telecom department (DoT) that this should be done in a phased manner but within a defined timeframe. However, Trai said that this process should be optional to the service providers as well as mobile subscribers.

To encourage existing  mobile subscribers to opt for Aadhaar based e-KYC, Trai proposed that customers  “may have to be given some sops in terms of free talk-time or data to encourage them to undergo the e-KYC process.”

Trai said that existing paper-based KYC process is not robust enough and the possibility of significant number of working SIMs, which may have been acquired on fake/forged identity, cannot be fully ruled out.  “The owner of such fake identity would not even be aware that SIM(s) are working in his/her name,” said it.

Trai pointed out that  it received several cases from state police  wherein it has been found that hundreds of SIM cards have been obtained on fake documents.

“The existence of such SIM cards poses a real security challenge. It is essential that not only the new subscribers are enrolled through e-KYC process, but the existing subscriber base should also be verified through e-KYC process in a phased manner within a defined timeframe,” said the telecom regulator. It also said that  barring the e-KYC process for outstation customers results in artificial restriction and avoidable inconvenience. “Aadhaar based e-KYC should be permitted for outstation customers also,” it said.