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Trai issues directions to access providers to stop misuse of headers and message templates
Mumbai: To ensure that all promotional messages are sent through Registered Telemarketers (RTMs) using approved headers and message templates on the distributed ledger technologies (DLT) platform, as well as to prevent the misuse of headers and message templates, TRAI has issued two separate directions to access service providers under the Telecom commercial communication customer preference regulations, 2018, and the Telecom regulatory authority of india Act 1997.
Some telemarketers are abusing principal entity (PE) headers and message templates, according to Trai.
Access service providers have been directed to reverify all registered headers & message templates on DLT platform and block all unverified headers and message templates within 30 and 60 days respectively.
They are also needed to ensure that temporary headers are deactivated immediately after the time duration for which such headers were created.
They should ensure that content variables in message templates do not have flexibility to insert undesired contents. Entities involved in message transmission should be clearly identifiable and tracked, if required.
They need to remove confusions among recipients of messages and prevent their misuse, no Look-alike headers (headers which are similar by virtue of combination of small case or large case letters) are to be registered by access providers in names of different principal entities.
To curb messages from unauthorised or unregistered telemarketers, including telemarketers using telephone numbers, Access providers have been directed to bar all Telemarketers, who are not registered on distributed ledger technologies (DLT) platform from handling the message template scrubbing and delivery of messages to recipients through Access Providers’ network
They need to ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by unregistered telemarketers or telemarketers using telephone numbers (10 digits numbers)
They shoul take action against all such erring telemarketers as per the provisions of the regulations and also initiate actions as per relevant legal laws. The Access Service Provider shall also notify details of such Telemarketers to other Access Providers, who shall, in turn, bar these entities from sending any kind of commercial communications through their networks.
All the telecom service providers have been directed to comply with the above directions within thirty days.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
