The country's private telecom company Airtel recently started a new service in collaboration with grocery delivery app Blinkit, under which mobile users get a new SIM card in a few minutes sitting at home. In this facility, Airtel SIM was delivered to the user at home in just 10 minutes, which the user could activate by verifying his identity i.e. Self-KYC. But now the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has banned this facility.

Users used to order SIM cards through Blinkit and within a few minutes they used to get a new Airtel SIM delivered at home. After this, the user had to do Self-KYC through the Airtel Thanks app, that is, the identification process was completed sitting at home without going to the store.

Let us tell you that Self-KYC is a process in which the user himself verifies his identity online through Aadhaar. There was no need for biometric verification in this and there was no need to visit the store.

According to the information, this facility was started in 16 big cities of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow Chennai etc. But now this service has been banned.

The Department of Telecommunications made it clear that Aadhaar-based KYC is completely necessary before giving a SIM card. In a process like Self-KYC, there is a risk that the SIM can be issued without proper identification.

The government has tightened the rules related to SIM cards last year. Now no SIM can be given without biometric authentication. Earlier it was possible to get a SIM on the basis of some documents. The government's concern is that if there is no strictness in the process like Self-KYC, then fake SIM cards can be issued, which can increase cyber crime.

The Department of Telecommunications has clearly instructed that no SIM delivery or issuance process can be done without completing KYC first. Aadhaar verification first and then SIM delivery is mandatory. However, till now Airtel or Blinkit has not given any official statement on this order.