THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Dec 2: Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday reiterated that the Sanchar Saathi mobile application is entirely optional, stressing that users are free to install, activate, or remove it as they see fit.
He maintained that public confusion surrounding the app is unnecessary, pointing out that people may simply choose not to register or may delete it whenever they want, adding only a brief remark such as “If you want to activate it, do so… Delete it if you wish.”
Scindia underlined that the app’s purpose is to strengthen consumer safety, not intrude on personal privacy. He rejected suggestions of surveillance, clarifying that the platform has no features that allow snooping or call monitoring.
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Instead, he described Sanchar Saathi as a citizen-driven system that helps people safeguard their mobile identities by enabling IMEI verification, reporting telecom misuse, and identifying all active mobile numbers linked to an individual.
He also pointed to the initiative’s measurable impact. According to the minister, the portal has been accessed by around 20 crore users, while the mobile app has crossed 1.5 crore downloads.
Authorities have deactivated more than 2.25 crore suspicious mobile connections, and nearly 20 lakh stolen phones have been traced—about 7.5 lakh of which were returned to owners. He noted that the platform has helped prevent financial fraud running into amounts of Rs 22,800 crore in 2024.
Responding to political criticism, Scindia said the objections raised by the Opposition were misplaced and lacked substance. He argued that the initiative is meant to benefit consumers and bolster telecom cybersecurity, not impose obligations on handset users.
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The Department of Telecommunications has instructed manufacturers and importers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on new devices sold in India to improve awareness and reduce the circulation of duplicate or tampered IMEIs.
Designed under the Telecom Cyber Security framework, the app is available on both Android and iOS and aims to strengthen India’s digital safety ecosystem by giving users tools to verify device authenticity and report suspected fraud.
