The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has changed the rules for buying and selling SIM cards. In such a situation, those buyers and sellers of SIMs should be aware of the new rules. Otherwise, you may have to go to jail along with fine for violating the rules.
In fact, the central government has become strict to stop fraud caused by fake SIM cards. In such a situation, the Department of Telecommunication has issued new SIM card rules.
These rules were supposed to come into effect from October 1, 2023, however, an additional time of two months were given by the government. Now the new rules are being implemented from December 1, 2023.
KYC Will Be Mandatory
Under the new rules, SIM card sellers will have to do proper KYC of the person purchasing the SIM card. The government has restricted SIM card buyers and sellers from purchasing multiple SIMs at once which means users will not be able to issue multiple SIM cards simultaneously. Also, a limited number of SIM cards will be issued on one ID.
Provision Of Jail And Fine
Under the rules, it is mandatory for all SIM sellers i.e. Point of Sale (PoS) to register by 30th November. A fine of Rs 10 lakh can be imposed for violation of all these rules. You may also have to go to jail.
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Fraud Will Be Controlled
Actually, reports were being received that SIM card sellers are issuing new SIM cards without proper verification and testing, which is becoming the cause of fraud. Thus, the government has made it clear that if someone is found selling fake SIM cards, he will have to go to jail for 3 years. Also his license will be blacklisted. At present there are about 10 lakh SIM card sellers in India. Most of these issue SIM cards in bulk to companies and other institutions.