To combat mobile phone theft issue in India, government has come up with a new system called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), which can block and track such phones
The Centre for Department of Telematics (CDoT), a technology development body, has tested its pilot of CEIR system in some of the telecom circles, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Northeast region
The government will officially roll out the system for all users in India on May 17
The CEIR system can detect the use of cloned mobile phones across all telecom networks, thereby aiding the government in preventing revenue loss to the exchequer
All telecoms have access to the list of approved IMEI numbers, which will check the entry of any unauthorised mobile phones on their network
When the thief uses his/her SIM in the lost phone, CEIR system will know who is using which device with which IMEI number because all SIM cards in India are issued only after the KYC of the user
The government has mandated that the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, a 15-digit unique numeric identifier, be disclosed prior to the sale of mobile devices in India
File an FIR for the phone; visit the CEIR.gov.in website and then request for blocking of lost/stolen mobile
Enter all the required details of the lost phone and yourself and submit the form. Once done, your phone will be blocked and police will be able to trace your lost handset
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said CEIR is part of PM Modi’s vision for telecom user’s safety. "If the SIM card is removed and a new SIM card is inserted still the phone can be blocked. The CEIR will help keep phone data and personal belongings safe," he said