Railway Protection Force (RPF) has joined hands with the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to ensure the tracing and recovery of lost mobile phones belonging to railway passengers. This initiative follows a successful pilot program in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and is set to benefit millions of railway passengers across India.
The RPF has onboarded with the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal of DoT, which will enable the force to track and recover lost mobile phones. This partnership is expected to be especially beneficial for Mumbaikars, who report an average of 4 to 5 cases of phone theft daily on railway premises with government railway police.
“The all-India rollout of this program is a significant step towards improving passenger safety and security, and the RPF is committed to providing a safe and secure travel experience for all railway passengers” said an official.
In the inauguration launch and training program for CEIR portal, held on Thursday in New Delhi, Manoj Yadava IPS, Director General, Railway Protection Force addressed the gathering of RPF field units while Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) delivered the keynote address.
Speaking on this landmark development, the DG RPF Manoj Yadava stated that “The collaboration of RPF with the Department of Telecommunication for operating CEIR portal marks a significant milestone in railway security. By harnessing digital technology, we aim to provide passengers with a transparent and effective mechanism to recover their lost or missing mobile phones. This initiative strengthens law enforcement capabilities and fosters greater trust among railway commuters. We remain committed to safeguarding passenger property and ensuring a secure travel experience across the railway network.”
The CEIR portal, launched by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, is a crucial digital tool designed to recover mobile phones by blocking, tracking and managing lost or stolen devices. By leveraging this platform, RPF will now be able to render lost/missing mobile phones unusable by blocking their IMEI numbers, thereby deterring illegal possession and resale of these devices. This initiative will also facilitate the swift recovery of lost phones through advanced tracking capabilities.
Seamless Complaint Registration & Recovery Process
The integration of RPF with CEIR ensures a streamlined process for passengers reporting lost or stolen phones. Passengers can report lost or stolen mobile phones through the Rail Madad platform, either online or by dialling 139. If they choose not to file an FIR, they will be guided to register their complaint on the CEIR portal.
CEIR Registration by RPF:
Zonal Cyber Cells of RPF will then register the complaint on the CEIR portal, entering the required details and blocking the device.
Tracking and Recovery
Once the lost phone is detected with a new SIM card, the user of the device will be advised to return it to the nearest RPF post.
Return to the Owner
The rightful owner must present supporting documents to reclaim the device.
Legal Action:
In case of non-compliance, an FIR can be lodged, and the matter escalated to the District Police.
Device Unblocking
Upon recovery, the complainant can request to unblock the phone via the CEIR portal, with assistance from RPF if needed.
In May 2024, RPF began a pilot project in Northeast Frontier Railway to actively utilize the CEIR portal and to study its utility for RPF. This experiment resulted in successful recovery of numerous lost mobile phones and apprehension of individuals involved in mobile theft. With this initiative being expanded all across the country, RPF is confident that it would be able to provide faster and more efficient recovery solutions for railway passengers.
