Consider the following statements regarding the 2026 Department of Telecommunications (DoT) guidelines for enforcing mobile connection limits : 1. An individual is permitted to have a maximum of nine mobile connections across India, except in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and the North-East , where the limit is six . 2. The Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) will provide a representative image of subscribers who have reached the permitted SIM limit to all telecom service providers (TSPs) . 3. Telecom operators must integrate the photo-based identification system into their activation process on a real-time basis by December 31, 2026 . Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct answer is Only 1 and 2 In News The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced the use of subscriber photographs through its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to strictly enforce the limit on mobile connections per individual. Key Points Statement 1 is correct: Based on the 2012 subscriber verification guidelines , an individual can have up to nine mobile connections across all operators in India. However, for subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and the North-East , the permitted limit is lower at six connections . Statement 2 is correct: The Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) will identify and group connections held by individuals and will host an image repository of subscribers with nine or more SIMs . From August 23 , a representative photo of such subscribers will be shared with operators to prevent further issuance. Statement 3 is incorrect: While operators must start identifying subscribers using DIP photos by August 24, they are required to integrate this photo-based identification into their processes on a real-time basis by November 30 , not December 31. Additional Information The government is also set to notify the Telecommunications (User Identification) Rules, 2025 , which propose a biometric-based system for identifying telecom users using live photographs or other biometric attributes. This system will create a unique user ID linked to a person's connections across all operators and will require re-verification for tasks like SIM replacement and number porting . Important Points Any SIM card activated beyond the prescribed limit during the initial implementation phase will be suspended immediately . Telecom operators must download representative photographs of subscribers who have reached their limit from the DIP on a daily basis starting from August 23.