[Update]
After the furor this news generated, Telecom Ministry and UIDAI had to issue a statement on this matter. The statement said, “If anybody wishes to get her/his Aadhaar eKYC replaced by the fresh KYC, she/he may request the service provider for delinking of her/his Aadhaar by submitting fresh OVDs as per earlier DOT Circulars on mobile KYC. But in any case her/his mobile number will not be disconnected,”
More updates are awaited.
Earlier…
Almost 50% of India’s current telecom users are staring at an impossible reality: Their SIM connections can be disconnected if they have obtained their connection via Aadhaar-KYC mode.
This sounds ridiculous, but this can become the reality.
Aadhaar-Only KYC Mode = Mobile Disconnection?
Remember the days when telecom companies were luring, forcing, coercing you to link Aadhaar with your mobile, and get a new SIM by only using Aadhaar?
And you trusted them, and gave your Aadhaar number for getting a new SIM, and doing a new KYC for your existing mobile?
Well, it seems that it was a mistake.
Now, as per fresh reports coming in, all those SIMs which were activated with only Aadhaar as KYC can be disconnected.
The numbers can be as high as 50 crore mobile users, or almost 50% of current telecom users in India!
Why Aadhaar-KYC Mobiles Are At Risk?
There are two reasons.
First, the recent Supreme Court ruling, which ordered all private companies to destroy Aadhaar related data of customers. Now, UIDAI has asked to delink Aadhaar of users based on this ruling, and an ‘exit plan’ has been sought.
In case telecom firms do delink the Aadhaar, then there will be no KYC left.
And as per Telecom Ministry’s regulations, this means disconnection, unless another KYC is used.
And the second reason is that, in the month of March, telecom companies were ordered to destroy all pre-Aadhaar KYC documents, as they were undergoing digitalized, Aadhaar KYC.
Now, as those KYC documents are destroyed, and the current digitalized Aadhaar is delinked, there is no KYC left.
And this means disconnection.
What Is The Solution Here?
The only solution seems is a new KYC, which would be without Aadhaar.
And this massive exercise means more headache for the users, and telecom operators, as a new round of awareness, execution and follow-up is required.
This time without Aadhaar.
Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan has met representatives of various telecom operators, and have discussed this complex issue.
She assured that whatever happens, the subscribers won’t be hassled.
She said, “We want to ensure that it is a smooth transition with little problems for subscribers.”
Non-Aadhaar KYC can be: passport, driving licence, voter’s card, electricity bill, gas bill, PAN card.
We will keep you updated, as we receive more information.