Reverification for India mobile phone users
SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL INFORM THEIR SUBSCRIBERS OF SUPREME COURT ORDER
A ll existing subscribers to mobile services will have to go for Aadhaar-based reverification soon, with the government instructing telecom operators to initiate the process. Aadhaar is a 12 digit unique-identity number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said its members may meet this week to discuss the modalities of rolling out the verification process for the existing one billion-plus mobile phone users.
“All licensees shall re-verify all existing mobile subscribers (pre-paid and postpaid) through Aadhaar-based eKYC [electronic Know Your Customer] process,” a notification issued by the telecom department said.
It further added that all licensees will have to inform existing subscribers — through advertisements in print and electronic media as well as text messages — about the order of the Supreme Court for re-verification process. They have also been asked to upload the details of the exercise on their website.
The Supreme Court, in an order in February this year, had observed that, “an effective process has been evolved to ensure the identity verification, as well as, the addresses of all new mobile phone subscribers. In the near future, and more particularly within one year from today, a similar verification will be completed, in case of existing subscribers”.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) plans to audit the impact of the country’s note ban and the effect it has had on government tax revenues, said CAG Shashi Kant Sharma.
In an interview, he said the auditor is gearing up to audit tax revenues under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime and has started capacity building and reorienting its audit methodology and procedures.
Among the special audits, CAG has already completed audit of the agricultural crop insurance scheme and flood control and flood forecasting, and is now engaged in several important audits like Right to Education, National Rural Health Mission, defence pensions and Ganga Rejuvenation, he said. “These reports should be ready by the end of the current year.”
Everything under scrutiny
Sharma asserted CAG has audit jurisdiction over any body or authority which has any relation to government revenues and expenditure, and resistance by some — such as city development bodies, DISCOMs [electricity distribution companies of India] and metro corporations