Ministry of Communications
25-October, 2017 17:09 IST
DoT further simplifies the process for linking of Aadhaar with mobile number
- Introduces new OTP based option for consumer ease with two other convenient options
- Industry welcomes the move and pledges support to the government
In a bid to expedite compliance of telecom service providers with the Hon. Supreme Court's order dated 6th February regarding linking of Aadhaar card with mobile number and reverification process of mobile users, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a comprehensive instruction on Wednesday.
As per the new rules, the DoT has introduced three new methods to link the registered mobile number with Aadhaar i.e. OTP (One Time Password) based, App based and the IVRS facility. These new methods will help subscribers to get their mobile number linked to Aadhaar without visiting the stores of the telcos. For the ease of senior citizens and the people with disability and chronic illness, DoT has also recommended for the re-verification at subscribers’ doorstep. According to the new guidelines, the telecom operators should provide an online mechanism for people to request such service and based on availability schedule the visit and complete the process.
Speaking on the development, Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Communications, said “The Aadhaar number system was designed to allow all residents of the country access to critical government services and important information that they may need from time to time. Mobile penetration is increasing rapidly in the country and the subscribers need to be provided with the ease of linking of the Aadhaar number with the mobile number. It is the government’s endeavour to improve convenience and reduce time and energy spent by consumers to accessing government information and services that is their right to access.”
Representative of COAI stated, “The latest clarifications from the DoT are aligned with what the industry, and the subscribers need at this time. While, it will take a little time to implement the directions, we are working closely with the government to improve and enhance the convenience of our consumers for undertaking Aadhaar based e-KYC linking of their mobile number. We are implementing all the necessary processes so as to be able to use the additional methods prescribed including OTP, App based and the IVRS facility. We expect it to get much faster and easier for individual mobile subscribers to comply with the e-KYC norms using their Aadhaar Registered Mobile Number (ARMN).”
In a circular in August, DoT had given instructions to the telecom service providers to provide iris or fingerprint based authentication of Aadhaar. The new regulations have specified that the telecom service providers must deploy iris readers for this purpose within a reasonable geographical area.
Further, in keeping with privacy rules, the DoT has mandated that telecom service providers’ agent should not have access to the subscribers’ e-KYC data and only the name and address of the subscribers should be visible. Subscribers can verify or re-verify their mobile numbers from anywhere in the country irrespective of which service area their mobile connection belongs to.
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Ministry of Defence
25-October, 2017 15:56 IST
MoS Defence Says Indigenisation Vital in Defence Sector
The Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre has said that the quest for indigenisation must be the foremost concern of any organisation as it is even more important in Defence sector as it leads to self-reliance which is critical to national security. He was inaugurating a seminar on Solutions to Problem Statements with a theme ‘Indigenous Technological Empowerment of the Indian Army’, here today.
Dr. Bhamre stated that significance of indigenisation must be fully absorbed by all stakeholders and must implement ‘Make in India’ in all future acquisition programmes. He appreciated that the Indian Army has not only organised a series of initiatives towards this objective, but also created the Army Design Bureau, which is a unique organisation to facilitate interaction and seek participation of the Indian industry and the academic community. Commenting that technology has permeated into all facets of daily existence, he said its relevance in warfare is most critical and always the side with access to better technologies will always win. “True self-reliance in Defence, therefore will flow out of fully home-grown technology”, he said. The Raksha Rajya Mantri mentioned that the government in the recent past launched several initiatives to develop technologies in niche sectors like defence and aerospace. There is a Technological Development Fund in the Ministry of Defence for specific projects. He said initiatives like the Skill India and Startup India will further create the necessary eco-system in the defence sector to realize a fully Made in India platform.
Dr. Bhamre said the government has put defence at the core of its ‘Make in India’ programme and further stated that various companies are expressing their willingness to invest in India by utilizing the country’s highly talented and skilled manpower. This has a huge potential and to even export the products to friendly foreign countries. Dr. Bhamre also inaugurated an exhibition of Solutions and Innovations at the venue.
Speaking at the function the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat said that the Army has encouraged the academia and the industry in the country to come and understand the requirements with regard to equipment that is needed by the Army.
Secretary General, FICCI Dr. Sanjaya Baru, CMD Bharat Forge Ltd Shri Baba N Kalyani and Lt Gen (Retd) Subrata Saha also spoke on the occasion.
The function was attended by senior officials from the Indian Army, Ministry of Defence, FICCI and several representatives from the industry and academic community.
