Sanchar Saathi App

The Sanchar Saathi mobile app, launched on 17 January 2025, has crossed 50 lakh downloads within seven months, emerging as a key initiative against rising cybercrimes and telecom fraud.

Key Dimensions of the Sanchar Saathi App

Citizen-Centric Security Features   

• Chakshu Module: Enables reporting of fraudulent calls, SMS, and WhatsApp scams (e.g., KYC-updating scams).
• IMEI Tracking & Blocking: Assists in tracing stolen/lost devices, blocking counterfeit/cloned phones, and preventing their circulation.
• Verification of Mobile Connections: Allows users to identify and block suspicious connections created via forged KYC details.
• Handset Genuineness Check: Confirms whether a purchased device is genuine.
• International Call Reporting: Helps report calls originating abroad but disguised as domestic (+91 numbers).
• ISP Information Access: Provides details of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) based on PIN code or location.

National Cybersecurity Significance

• Scale of Cybercrime: CERT-In recorded 41 lakh cyber incidents in 2024 compared to 15.92 lakh in 2023.
• Fraudulent Connections: Over 3 crore fake mobile connections
• Fraudulent Communication Curb: 16.97 lakh WhatsApp accounts disabled, 20,000 bulk SMS senders blacklisted.
• Transparency & Public Monitoring: A real-time dashboard makes enforcement visible to citizens, reinforcing accountability.

Legal and Privacy Safeguards

• IT Act, 2000: Provides the legal framework for cybercrime prevention, hacking penalties, and secure transmission.
• DPDP Act, 2023: Ensures minimal data collection, user consent, transparency, and limited law-enforcement access.
• Privacy Protection: No commercial profiling, limited data usage, strict compliance with statutory mandates.

Governance and Citizen Participation

• Jan Bhagidari Model: Empowers users to act as first responders against fraud.
• Inclusive Access: Available in Hindi and 21 regional languages on Android and iOS.
• Trust in Digital Services: Enhances confidence in banking, e-learning, healthcare, and government apps accessed through mobile devices.

Strengths:

• Integration of citizen reports with enforcement mechanisms.
• Direct contribution to reducing telecom-related frauds.
• Inclusive, multilingual, mobile-first design.

Challenges:

• Ensuring consistent user awareness and adoption, especially in rural areas.
• Coordinating between DoT, CERT-In, TRAI, and law enforcement for quick redressal.
• Addressing evolving cyber threats like AI-driven scams and deepfake frauds.

Way Forward:

• Mass Awareness Campaigns on cyber hygiene, especially targeting vulnerable groups.
• Periodic Security Upgrades of the app to counter new types of fraud.
• Integration with State Police Cyber Cells for quicker tracing of cybercrime.
• International Collaboration on tracing telecom fraud originating abroad.