Why is India Setting Up Mobile Phone Handsets Database
                     WHY IS INDIA SETTING 
UP MOBILE PHONE 
HANDSETS DATABASE?
Background
According to national telecom 
policy,  2012 issues like security, 
theft and other concerns related to 
mobile phones are needed to be the 
focus. 
It calls for the establishment of a 
National Mobile Property registry.
Background
Following 2012 policies' 
guidelines Department of 
Telecommunications initiated 
a Central Equipment Identity 
Registry (CEIR) for mobile 
service providers all over 
India.
In July 2017 plan to prepare 
the central handset database 
was announced the first time 
by the Department of Telecom.
CEIR
 According to the 2008 guidelines of the Department 
of telecommunications, mobile network providers in 
India should have an EIR (Equipment Identity Register) 
or a Database of the phones connected to its networks.
Central database i.e. CIER will collect this information 
from EIRs
With the help of data collected by CIER, there will be 
a storage of information on all mobile phones connected 
to the network all over India.
CEIR
The Indian Department of Telecommunications under 
the Telecom Ministry is all set to introduce the Central 
Equipment Identity Register (CIER).
CIER will have the database of IMEI numbers of 
mobile phones.
Purpose of CEIR
 CIER i.e. Centralized handset 
databases are useful to identify 
stolen mobile handsets across 
India.
CIER is the advance stage of 
IMEI.
Purpose of CEIR
In the current situation,  mobile service providers 
can blacklist the IMEI number of mobile phones 
in their EIR until the presence of old SIM on 
mobile.
With the help of CIER,  all network providers 
across India will able to blacklist the mobile even 
the SIM has changed.
India is setting up Mobile phone 
database
 IMEI is the 15 digit number which is unique for each 
handset.
 In the current situation,  mobile service providers can 
blacklist the IMEI number of mobile phones in their 
EIR.
But IMEI no. has restrictions that if the SIM has 
changed in stolen mobile phone service providers can 
not blacklist the mobile phone.
India is setting up Mobile phone 
database
  The Indian government is 
focusing on reducing the number 
of mobile theft cases.
 For this purpose, India is setting 
up the central data base for the 
handset which helps to find the 
stolen mobile phones.
The pilot project of CIER was 
conducted in West Maharashtra.
CIER procedure
  The Department of telecommunication (DoT) is in 
the plan to set the dedicated Helpline.
 A person can complain about their lost cell phone 
through this helpline.
Before making a complaint they have to make a police 
complaint.
After police report DoT will take further action.