{"id":164169,"date":"2025-12-02T10:41:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T10:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/164169\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T10:41:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T10:41:08","slug":"sanchar-saathi-app-cant-be-disabled-or-restricted-central-directive-vs-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/164169\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanchar Saathi app can\u2019t be disabled or restricted: Central directive vs Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday tried to quell the backlash<\/a> and surveillance fear over Sanchaar Saathi, calling it an optional mobile application for reporting cyber fraud and saying that users are free to delete it. However, people on the internet were quick to point out that his statement contradicts a government directive, which said that the app\u2019s functions cannot be disabled or restricted.<\/p>\n

Citing Clause 7(b) of a circular issued by the Ministry of Communications, social media users questioned which should be taken into account — the minister\u2019s statement or the official directive.<\/p>\n

The government, last week, directed mobile handset manufacturers and importers to ensure that the fraud-reporting app, Sanchar Saathi, is pre-installed on all new devices made or imported for use in India within 90 days. The move triggered a major backlash<\/a>, with many flagging concerns over possible state surveillance and misuse. The Opposition termed it a sign of the government \u201cpushing India toward dictatorship,\u201d accusing it of turning the country into a de facto dictatorship.<\/p>\n

Following the backlash, the telecom minister said, \u201cIf you want to activate it, do so. If you do not want to activate it, don\u2019t. Delete it if you wish. It is entirely your choice.\u201d However, internet users were quick to point out that the minister\u2019s remarks do not align with the contents of the official circular issued by his ministry.<\/p>\n

Clause 7(b) of the directive under the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024 says, “Ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted.”<\/p>\n

Pointing out the contradiction, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), a digital rights advocacy organization, countered the minister\u2019s remarks, stating that the \u201cclarification is incorrect\u201d and that the official directive clearly says Sanchar Saathi cannot be \u201cdisabled or restricted\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Internet freedom activist and cybersecurity expert Nikhil Pahwa said the minister should be asked whether the directive has been withdrawn or is still in effect.<\/p>\n

“To news channels tweeting Scindia’s video\/statement on Sanchar Saathi, please ask him whether the directive is being withdrawn. The directive (see point 7b) says it\u2019s mandatory cannot be disabled. no withdrawal yet,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Political analyst Raju Parulekar, joining the discussion, tweeted, “This clarification is incorrect” and “Till the Modi Regime doesn\u2019t issue a new Direction, as per Paragraph 10 of this Direction, nothing can be assumed. The Minister\u2019s Oral Statement will need a written confirmation.”<\/p>\n

Several others flagged similar concerns on the issue. A user on X, Siddharth KM, while citing the clause, remarked, \u201cThe inherent desperation is louder than the clarification\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Since the directive was issued on November 28, it has triggered massive pushback from multiple quarters, ranging from political leaders to tech experts. The Congress, joining the chorus of critics, labelled it a \u201csnooping app\u201d and demanded its immediate rollback. The party has also called for the directive to be withdrawn without delay.<\/p>\n

The Telecommunications Department directive mandated that all manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets intended for use in India must submit compliance reports to the DoT within 120 days from the date of issuance.<\/p>\n

It further warned that failure to comply will invite action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024, and other applicable laws. It also specifies that the directive has come into effect immediately and will remain in force until it is amended or withdrawn by the department.<\/p>\n

– Ends<\/p>\n

Published On: <\/p>\n

Dec 2, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday tried to quell the backlash and surveillance fear over Sanchaar Saathi,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[107582,342,111,139,69,107578,107581,107583,107580,107579,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-164169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-jyotiraditya-scindia-on-sanchaar-saathi","9":"tag-mobile","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-sanchaar-saathi","14":"tag-sanchaar-saathi-app","15":"tag-sanchaar-saathi-app-order","16":"tag-sanchaar-saathi-not-mandatory","17":"tag-sanchaar-saathi-optional","18":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}