# 24 August update: DoT caps SIMs at 9 per Aadhaar, excess won’t get new one 2026-08-21T03:06:10+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet From 24 August, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will enforce a stricter limit on mobile SIM purchases. No person will be issued a new SIM if they already hold the maximum permitted number of connections across all telecom operators. The rule is designed to prevent misuse of bogus mobile connections. The national cap is nine SIMs per Aadhaar card. In Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and the northeastern states, the limit is six. Telecom companies must check a subscriber's existing count before issuing a new connection. Consumers can check how many SIMs are active against their Aadhaar on the government's TAFCOP portal, and also request deactivation of unused numbers. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The cap of nine SIMs per Aadhaar has been in place since 2018, initially as a measure to curb fraudulent mobile connections used in cybercrime and extortion. Violators found exceeding this limit will have their excess connections deactivated without prior notice. The stricter enforcement from August 24 follows reports that many subscribers had crossed the limit using multiple telecom operators, often without realising it. For those affected, the only recourse will be to surrender their extra SIMs voluntarily at the nearest operator store before the deadline, or risk losing a number they rely on. ## Coverage - aajtak.in Leads with rule change as fact, treats government restriction as simple compliance notice without questioning it This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Aadhaar, Assam, DoT, Jammu and Kashmir, SIM Card, TAFCOP Portal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/24-august-update-dot-caps-sims-at-9-per-aadhaar-excess-wont-get-new-one/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/24-august-update-dot-caps-sims-at-9-per-aadhaar-excess-wont-get-new-one/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/