Trai Pesky Calls Guidelines: Govt’s Crackdown on Unwanted Calls

The government has proposed holding banks, insurance companies, real estate developers, and brokers, as well as other entities, responsible for contacting people through numbers that are not registered with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). This move aims to crack down on the “menace” of unsolicited calls, a problem that has persisted despite previous initiatives such as the defunct ‘do not disturb’ facility.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the government have been attempting to curb this issue for over two decades. However, there has been a lack of enforcement, leading to the continued nuisance of unwanted calls, often promoting apartments or insurance plans with recorded voices.

In response to these violations of consumer rights and unsolicited calls being treated as “unfair trade practice,” the consumer affairs department recently held a consultation with stakeholders. Draft guidelines have been circulated to address the problem, with a focus on protecting consumer interests and helping them identify pesky calls.

Under the proposed Trai pesky calls guidelines, calls made for business promotion from phone numbers not registered with the regulator will be considered ‘pesky calls’. Consumers can lodge complaints against such calls with the National Consumer Helpline, leading to action under the Consumer Protection Act.

The guidelines include three separate series of numbers—’140′ for marketing, ‘160’ for service calls, and ‘111’ for communication by government agencies. This aims to help people easily identify the purpose of the caller.

A panel has been constituted by the consumer affairs department, comprising members from the telecom industry, regulatory bodies, and consumer organizations. The department emphasized that such calls violate the privacy and rights of consumers, with most calls coming from the financial services sector followed by real estate. There has also been a rise in spam callers using internet calls, especially through WhatsApp, to promote ponzi schemes, crypto investments, and job opportunities.

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