Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) Portal

Central Equipment Identity Register Latest News

Telangana has emerged as the top-performing state in India for recovering stolen and lost mobile phones through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal.

About Central Equipment Identity Register

• It was developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, to track lost or stolen mobile phones.
• It acts as a central database of all the mobile phones that are used and registered in India. It contains all the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN). 
  • IMEI is a 15-digit unique number attached to all the handsets. These numbers are attached to the registered service provider. 
• The user can track the devices by providing the required information requested on the portal along with the IMEI and FIR copy.
• The CEIR shares a wide platform that supports all the network operators. 
• It helps to receive information on the blacklisted mobile devices from the registered network to notify other networks. 
• This helps to track the device even if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) has changed.

Types of Lists in the Equipment Identity Register Database

• White List: It contains all the authorised IMEI numbers that are allowed to access the network.
• Grey List: It contains all the authorised IMEI numbers that are kept for observation to track the number.
• Black List: It contains all the unauthorised IMEI numbers that are prohibited from registration in a cellular network.

Objectives of Central Equipment Identity Register 

• Discourage mobile theft, identify fraudulent mobile markets, and protect consumer interest.
• To centralise the database for identifying and blocking the lost, stolen, or illegal mobile phones/networks.
• To track the lost or stolen mobile phones through IMEI numbers even if the SIM cards are changed or disabled.
• Create an infrastructure to provide the services to track the mobile devices.
• Create an infrastructure to access GSMA's database to check the authentication of the mobile device.
• To identify duplicate IMEI numbers, cloned, reprogrammed, stolen or unauthorised devices.

Central Equipment Identity Register FAQs

Q1: Who developed the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)?

Ans: Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

Q2: What is the primary purpose of the Central Equipment Identity Register?

Ans: To track and block lost or stolen mobile phones

Q3: What unique number does CEIR use to identify mobile devices?

Ans: International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) Number

Source: UNI