DoT cancelled a mistakenly republished notification issued on 29 October, but affirmed that the amended 2025 cybersecurity rules remain valid.
The amendment introduces a central Mobile Number Validation platform, enforced for telecom operators and optionally available to other digital service providers, to counter fraud and identity misuse.
The rules also require IMEI checks for mobile devices to tackle cloned or tampered phones, enhancing traceability and tightening device-sale regulation.
DoT Withdraws Duplicate Notice; Amended Cybersecurity Rules Stay Active
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has withdrawn a mistakenly republished cybersecurity notification. The original amended Telecom Cyber Security (TCS) Amendment Rules, 2025 — which introduced a mobile-number-validation platform to check identity fraud and device misuse — remains fully in force.
Summary
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has formally rescinded a duplicate notification that had republished its amended cybersecurity rules by error. The duplicate order, inadvertently published on 29 October, has been cancelled by a fresh DoT notice dated 25 November. The correction does not affect the status of the original amendment.
The amendment — first notified on 22 October — updated the existing cybersecurity framework for telecom networks and connected services. Key features of the rules include the creation of a centralised Mobile Number Validation (MNV) platform, mandatory for all licensed telecom operators, and optional but available to other service providers such as fintech, e-commerce and online platforms that rely on mobile numbers for user identification.
The MNV platform is designed to curb rising telecom-linked fraud, such as identity theft, SIM-based misuse and fake or cloned devices. The 2025 rules also mandate stricter verification of mobile devices — including checks on International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers — before sale or resale. These measures aim to improve traceability of devices and accountability of network services.
DoT clarified that the withdrawal of the duplicate notification does not undermine the legitimacy or enforceability of the amended rules. The original TCS Amendment Rules of 2025 remain fully operational, and all obligations under them must be met by telecom operators and eligible service providers.
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