Q721. Avoid Sim Card Cancellation

after leaving India | Proof of

address in India

Question: my name is rajesh . i hold foreign passport and oci. i come to india every year for 15 to 21 days for business purpose and to visit family. from last four years i am having problems and hate to come there for business and holiday purpose. before my parents were there so getting sim card other dox required was easy, they died four years back, so the problem started. when ever i come there i get a problem to get sim card, so most of the time i have to request my friends or relatives to get one sim card. question asked id proof hai kya aur address proof hai kya. when people apply for oci or pio why dont indian counsulate print our address of india in oci book, emmigration check not required etc so when we come to india and apply for driving licence etc it makes all the things very easy, when you open nri account and have oci majority of the things is solved time not wasted but will be gain for every one 1. it will act as id proof 2. it will act as address proof Answer: Getting a Sim card as you state is indeed a problem for many people who visit India and want to use their mobile phones in India in a cost effective manner by using an Indian prepaid Sim Card. Even after getting a Sim card, when you leave India the Sim is cancelled when it is not used for some time and any money that is still on the Sim card is taken by the Telecom Service Provider who issued the Sim card. However, now there may be some help for those who visit India frequently and wish to keep their Sim card active while they are away from India. As per new regulations issued last year by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Telecom service providers who issue Sim cards cannot arbitrarily deactivate Sim cards and must follow TRAI guidelines before they can deactivate a Sim. New rules issued by TRAI for deactivation of Mobile SIM cards in India due to non-usage: • The mobile connections of prepaid consumers shall not be deactivated for any period of non-usage less than 90 days. o Even if there is no usage for 90 days and the prepaid balance amount is Rupees 20 or more, the SIM cannot be deactivated. • When there is no usage beyond 90 days, then the SIM card provider can deduct Rupees 20 from the prepaid balance every 30 days until the SIM is used or the prepaid balance falls below Rupees 20. • Once the balance falls below Rupees 20, the SIM card can be deactivated by the carrier. • Usage can be a incoming or outgoing telephone call or a text message or even data usage So anyone using a pre-paid Sim Card in India and have plans to be away from India for sometime, if they do not want to get their Sim deactivated perhaps should ensure they have enough money on the Sim card to pay for the period of absence. A copy of TRAI notification is posted on NRI INFORMATION for informational purposes, to view CLICK HERE As for your suggestions, if implemented would perhaps make things easier for a lot of people with OCI who live abroad and visit India frequently. However: Not all OCI holders have an address in India. As anyone of Indian origin, who meets the OCI eligibility criteria can apply for OCI regardless of the country they are born in or whether they have ever been to India. OCI holders visiting India can drive there by carrying their foreign and International driving license with them. It is not compulsory of OCI holders who are visiting India for short periods to have an Indian driving license.