
TRAI's new voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans with 30-day validity, first raised by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in March, are now mandatory for all telecom operators. The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations,…
TRAI's new voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans with 30-day validity, first raised by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in March, are now mandatory for all telecom operators. The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, issued on September 22, require operators to offer special tariff vouchers valid for 30 days or less. Chadha, who claimed credit for the change, welcomed it as an example of constructive politics. TRAI said the rules followed consultations that drew 1,132 responses. The regulator noted the plans target senior citizens and low-budget users who do not need data. The new vouchers must be proportionately cheaper than equivalent bundled plans.

TRAI's new voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans with 30-day validity, first raised by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in March, are now mandatory for all telecom operators. The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, issued on September 22, require operators to offer special tariff vouchers valid for 30 days or less.
Chadha, who claimed credit for the change, welcomed it as an example of constructive politics. TRAI said the rules followed consultations that drew 1,132 responses. The regulator noted the plans target senior citizens and low-budget users who do not need data. The new vouchers must be proportionately cheaper than equivalent bundled plans.
TRAI's new voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans with 30-day validity, first raised by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in March, are now mandatory for all telecom operators. The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, issued on September 22, require operators to offer special tariff vouchers valid for 30 days or less. Chadha, who claimed credit for the change, welcomed it as an example of constructive politics. TRAI said the rules followed consultations that drew 1,132 responses. The regulator noted the plans target senior citizens and low-budget users who do not need data. The new vouchers must be proportionately cheaper than equivalent bundled plans.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral
Sources (2): indiatoday.in (pro government), english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.