Amid worries that government's move to make panic button mandatory will
increase cost of mobile handsets, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
Thursday said he will take up the issue up with the industry.
"I will
talk to them. India is a big market. For your information, I have
discussed this with everyone. Manufactures who understand this have
given their support. My expectation is that they will render their
support in social justice and women security," Prasad told reporters
Thursday.
Government has mandated that all mobile phones to be
sold in India January 1, 2017, should have a panic button enabling users
to make emergency call or send out alerts to multiple numbers by just
pressing a button.
"Panic button means there will be a button (on
phone), if any women is in distress, someone is harassing her then she
can press this button. Local police station and prescribed number of her
family will automatically get alert. This will start from January 1,"
Prasad said.
Besides, in-built GPS navigation system would be mandatory for all phones a year later with effect from January 1, 2018.
(Also see: Panic Buttons on Cellphones a Must. What This Means for You.)
Feature
phone makers expect that the price of the handset will go up by Rs. 200
after incorporating panic button in it. "We see prices of feature phone
to go up by at least Rs. 200. This matters for people in the bottom of
pyramid," GPA Group Chairman and Managing Director Vivek Agarwal said.
The
company sells phone under M-Tech brand name and 90 percent of its
business comes from sale of feature phones. Further, apex mobile phone
industry body Indian Cellular Association has said GPS component would
add cost of about Rs. 67 per handset and the required software would
raise the overall cost in the range of Rs. 260 to Rs 400.
The
telecom minister also inaugurated Rahuri Municipal Council of Ahmednagar
district in Maharashtra linking its services with digital locker. With
this RMC became first municipal council to attain the status of
integrated with digital locker for the issuance of all essential
documents.
The citizen under RMC area can now apply for the
certificates like Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates online without
going to Municipal Council and these documents will be available in the
Digilocker signed to the citizens.
"Rahuri Municipal Council
integrating services with Digital Locker is first in the country to do
so. It is symbol of changing Bharat. This should be highlighted across
country so that other municipal bodies also follow the suit," Prasad
said.
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