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In an attempt to reduce pesky calls, the telecom regulator shall soon issue a mandate to demarcate separate numbering series for transactional versus marketing calls made by businesses for commercial purposes.Currently, only 140 number series are allocated for all kinds of commercial purposes. These could in future be classified into (140) marketing and (160 or 161) for service calls to easily identify the purpose of the caller. The move is complementary to Trai's (telecom regulatory authority of India) recent recommendations for network operators as well as mobile device makers to enable display of caller's name, both for personal phone numbers as well as enterprise callers."The DoT has approved our recommendation to allocate separate series which have been tested for both purposes...Trai shall soon issue a direction in this regard," a senior Trai official told ET.He added that voice calls have lately become a larger spam channel as compared to SMSes after the implementation of the blockchain-based filtering system by telcos. "While SMS complaints have come down to just 30,000 per month, reports against unwanted calls through 10-digit personal numbers have gone upto a few lakhs."This is largely because, even though the 140-numbering series is reserved for commercial purposes, subscribers have stopped receiving them assuming that a number originating from 140 would be spam. Enterprises, therefore, started using personal numbers."Even banks were unable to fulfil transaction verification calls because subscribers would simply ignore 140 numbers. They had to ultimately resort to other private unregistered SIMs," the Trai official said. It became a menace because fraudsters using personal SIMs could now dupe recipients into believing that they were genuine bank representatives. "That's why a clear demarcation for service calls was required."The regulator shall announce a distinct range (likely 160 or 161), so that recipients can easily identify a transactional call without confusion with a marketing call, which shall continue to originate from 140 series as registered currently.As per TRAI data, there are 305,587 entities registered for sending commercial SMSes and calls. However, the universe is much larger as several entities use 10-digit P2P numbers to make telemarketing calls."Given that getting private connections is so easy, with up to 10 SIM cards permissible per national ID, businesses refrain from taking the official route for making marketing calls," an executive at a communications startup said.He added that price wars and the race among telcos to gain subscribers has led to ruthless disregard for the KYC (know-your-customer) procedure mandated for selling SIM cards.The government is taking several steps in the spam war. Besides the calling name display feature, the DoT last month launched two portals - 'Chakshu' and the DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform).

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a significant human trafficking network that deceived Indians into traveling to the war zone between Russia and Ukraine under the guise of providing lucrative jobs abroad. The agency is currently conducting searches at more than 10 locations across seven cities as part of its investigation.FIR Registered Against Visa Consultancy Firms and AgentsOfficials have revealed that the CBI has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against various visa consultancy firms and agents involved in the trafficking scheme. During the searches, several individuals have been detained, and an amount of Rs 50 lakh has been seized.The CBI is conducting searches across Delhi, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Ambala, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai. The officials said the agency has registered an FIR against various visa consultancy firms and agents.Tragic Death of Indian in Conflict ZoneThis development follows the tragic death of Mohammed Afsan, a 30-year-old man from Hyderabad, who was allegedly misled into joining the Russian army and was killed in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Afsan is the second Indian casualty in the conflict, following the death of Hamil Mangukiya from Surat about a week ago.Efforts to Bring Stranded Indians Back HomeThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a warning last month to Indian citizens about the dangers of being recruited for support roles in the Russian army. The MEA has also been in contact with Russian authorities to ensure the safe return of around 20 Indians who are still stranded in Russia.Government's Response and EffortsThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued warnings to Indian citizens about the dangers of being recruited for support roles in the Russian army. The MEA has also been in contact with Russian authorities to ensure the safe return of around 20 Indians who are still stranded in Russia. Additionally, the Punjab government has urged the MEA to provide assistance to Indian youth forcibly inducted into the Russian military, emphasizing the need for immediate action to bring them back home safely.Calls for Action and CautionMohammad Sufiyan's case, where he was allegedly deceived by agents and drafted into fighting for Russia, underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations and actions against such fraudulent practices. Families of affected individuals are urging the central government and the MEA to intervene, evacuate the trapped youth, and take strict action against the agents responsible.Punjab govt appeals for help for Indians trapped in conflict zonesCiting media reports of Indian youth being "forcibly inducted" into the Russian Military and sent to the Ukraine war, the Punjab government has urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to provide assistance for their safe return. Punjab NRIs Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh AAP raised the issue with the External Affairs Ministry and the Russian Ambassador to India, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. The majority of these youths, who went to Russia on visitor visas, were allegedly coerced into the Russian military, with one reported death during the war.Minister Dhaliwal emphasized the need for immediate resolution, demanding appropriate action against violators of Visa Norms or the Immigration Act. He also urged the Union Government to intervene and bring back the bodies of the deceased youth. The Punjab government's letter to the MEA included news reports about Indian youths, especially from Punjab, who were forcefully inducted into Russian Military Services while visiting Russia as tourists.The CBI's action against the human trafficking network highlights the dangers faced by unsuspecting Indians who are lured into dangerous situations under false pretenses. The government's efforts to bring back those stranded in conflict zones are commendable, emphasizing the importance of caution and vigilance when seeking employment opportunities abroad.

Ahead of the big General Elections, Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal, the daughter of veteran leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, K Karunakaran, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi on Thursday. "I am so happy. For the first time, I am changing my party as I was not happy with Congress for so many years. I had complained to the party high command but there was no response. I even came to see the leadership but they didn't see me...I have great respect for Sonia Gandhi but she never gave me time," Padmaja said after joining the saffron party.Venugopal joined the BJP in the presence of its Kerala in-charge and former Union minister Prakash Javadekar and other senior leaders.The rumours that Padmaja was planning to switch parties and join the BJP began to circulate on Wednesday after she removed a Facebook post that refuted such reports.At the beginning, Padmaja clarified on the Meta-owned platform that the rumours of her joining the BJP were just jokes.She later took down the post, though, which fuelled more rumours about her true motivations for joining the saffron party.Her brother and party MP K Muraleedharan said that her decision was a betrayal and would not benefit the saffron party even an ounce. Muraleedharan said that Karunakaran had never compromised with communalism and for a member of his family to join the BJP was a sad outcome as far as people with a secular mindset were concerned.