In this Special Report, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia defends the government's directive to pre-install the 'Sanchar Saathi' app on all mobile phones, clarifying that 'Sanchar Saathi cannot read your messages' and is strictly for cyber security. The controversy erupted after the Centre mandated manufacturers to install the app, sparking allegations of mass surveillance from the Opposition. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed the move a 'snooping mechanism', arguing that it crosses the fine line between fraud prevention and state intrusion. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also joins the debate, questioning the privacy implications for 140 crore citizens. The programme examines the 90-day compliance deadline for companies and the political standoff over digital privacy rights.
00:00Now moving on to another controversy of today.
00:03Now the center has issued a directive mandating that the Sanchar Sathi app
00:09should be pre-installed on all phones manufactured or imported for use in India.
00:15The aim is to help people verify genuine devices and prevent misuse of telecom services.
00:22The order requires the app to be clearly visible and easy to use during the initial setup
00:27and of any new handset it should be there.
00:32Manufacturers are not allowed to hide, disable or restrict any of its features.
00:37Companies have 90 days to comply with the order and 120 days to file a compliance report.
00:43For devices already in stores, they are expected to add the app through software updates.
00:50Though Reuters citing sources in Apple said that Apple will not bow to the diktat
00:56and will not pre-load its phones with the app.
00:59Apple is said to be planning to convey its concerns directly to New Delhi.
01:04It is important to note that as per Communications Minister Jyotir Aditya Sindhya,
01:10the app can be uninstalled by the user if they want.
01:14He further clarified that this app is meant for cyber security only
01:17and it has no role in snooping or spying.
01:21Through Sanchar Sarti portal and app, users can check whether a mobile handset is genuine
01:27using its IMEI number.
01:30They can report suspected fraud calls or messages.
01:33They can report lost or stolen mobile phones.
01:37They can also see all mobile connections issued in their name.
01:41They can access trusted contact details for banks and financial institutions.
01:45It is not mandatory if you don't want to register in order to do this app,
01:54you don't want to register in order to do this app.
01:56Don't register in order to stay dormant.
01:58If you want to delete it, you can delete it.
02:00But what happens?
02:01But every person doesn't know in the country that I am protecting for frauds,
02:06I am protecting for frauds, I am protecting for frauds.
02:10A political storm had erupted over the Sanchar Sarti app, with the opposition sharply criticising
02:34the centre, calling the directive beyond unconstitutional.
02:39Congress leaders argued that a preloaded government app that could not be uninstalled,
02:43according to them, amounted to a dystopian tool for monitoring citizens and demanded its
02:49immediate rollback, citing privacy concerns.
02:53Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Wadra described the app as a snooping mechanism, insisting that
02:58citizens must retain the right to private communication without government intrusion or oversight.
03:05She suggested that such measures were pushing the country towards dictatorship while acknowledging
03:12the need for cyber security systems, but emphasising that they should not be used to access every
03:18citizen's phone.
03:19In response to the controversy, the government clarified that the app could be uninstalled.
03:24Communications Minister Jyotir Aditya Sindhya reportedly assured users that there was no
03:31compulsion to keep the app, seeking to address the massive rout that had erupted over privacy
03:37fears.
03:37The government is saying it's for national security.
03:44And the fraud will be easy to report.
03:46The government is for national security.
03:48But that's a very fine line, no?
03:49It's a very fine line between fraud is easy to report and we can see everything that every
03:54citizen of India is doing on their phone.
03:57So that's not how it should work.
04:00There should be an effective system to report fraud and we've discussed this at great lengths
04:06on cyber security and this and that and definitely there's a need for cyber security.
04:11But that doesn't mean that it gives you an excuse to go into every citizen's telephone.
04:15I don't think anybody, any citizen would be happy.
04:17In the name of helping the people's consumer, BJP government is trying to attack on privacy of
04:25the common people.
04:26We had an experience of Pegasus here in India.
04:30So the government is trying to put a surveillance on entire people of this country through this app.
04:37They had used Pegasus.
04:39They had political leaders and journalists and all judges even their own party men has been
04:45and they were doing this with Pegasus.
04:47Now they are going to do it with an app now.
04:50They are going to do with the app which is going to be
04:52only way is that every Indian is going to be snooped into it and in a mass scale they are
04:59going to do it which is unacceptable and we should all protest and because these kind
05:04of apps, these kind of activities by the government is unacceptable.
05:07Sanchar Sathi, the government is saying that they are going to take this app
05:12and take this app.
05:13It was like digital arrests.
05:15It was necessary.
05:16It was necessary.
05:17It was necessary.
05:18You are saying that it is a big brother attitude.
05:21It is always trying to keep an eye on the common people of this country.
05:25Why are you trying to keep an eye on it?
05:27If you have a Singapore model on it, every person will hold a eye on the ground.
05:33Where are you moving through?
05:35Where are you going to go?
05:36Everyone knows it in one minute.
05:38Keep it.
05:40It is BECAUSE of the technology.
05:42It is why?
05:43It is a technology.
05:44Why do you want to make the country?
05:46Why does that look like a vest?
05:47Why does it look like a vest?
05:48Why does it look like a vest?
05:49Why does it look like a vest?
05:50Why does it look like a vest?
05:52What do you want to do it?
05:53foreign
06:23We want to create a controlled government in this life.
06:30We want to do this in this life.
06:31This is the government's work.
06:32Hindustan is a free India.
06:33We want to create a free government.
06:34We are joined with Priyanka Chaturvedi.
06:37Priyanka Ji, you always have the privacy of the government.
06:40The government says that this is not a bad thing.
06:45We have not said that this is not a bad thing.
06:48We are not saying that this is not a bad thing.
06:55The government says that we are talking about Baito.
06:58Baito had a notification in the cyber security.
07:00We have seen a lot in the country.
07:02There is no law where you can be taken from the national security.
07:06In national security, journalists have been under the law.
07:11Opposition leaders have been under the law.
07:15Now, the notification of the disciples is very clear that manufacturers have a mandate that they will put in the app where the IMEI number is generated.
07:25Now, it would have become a feature of a phone. It would be part of the handset which is being used by the citizens.
07:32Now, we are giving clarification, because the country is understanding which way they are in our homes and phones.
07:51Do you feel like a back-channel can do any other notifications?
07:56Now, the notification is going to be done.
08:03As far as I know, India is a democratic country.
08:06India has been enshrined in its constitution that the right to privacy is a citizen's authority.
08:12And if it is a citizen's authority, then I will take it.
08:16The opposition is not the issue.
08:20In the winter session, there is a business that has been made.
08:23There is a lot of pressure.
08:25There are many pressure that the opposition has taken us.
08:28We will be thinking about what we should do.
08:31The pressure that the parliament has taken us,
08:35there is no pressure to make it.
08:38There is no pressure to make it.
08:40It is important in our place.
08:42Why is it your government do you do?
08:56It doesn't allow government to do it.
08:59Another and the opposition will not read your messages.
09:01The government also will not answer your messages.
09:05The government cannot read your messages.
09:08read your messages. Sanchar saathi aapke call nahi sunsakti hai. Sanchar saathi cannot listen
09:17to your calls, either the calls that you receive or the calls that you make. Sanchar saathi
09:23aapke niji data tak, personal data tak nahi pahunch sakti hai. Sanchar saathi cannot reach
09:31your personal data, cannot breach your personal data. Message nahi sunsakti, call nahi sunsakti,
09:37personal data breach nahi kar sakti hai. To kiya kama hai Sanchar saathi ka? Yeh
09:42sab kar nahi sakti hai, toh woh kya karegi? Uska kama security provide karne ka hai.
09:49Jou users hai, unko woh security provide karegi. Fraud ko rokne ka hai.
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