In addition to the panic button, the official notification in the Gazette of India states that an in-built GPS system would become mandatory in all devices from January 1, 2018.
The proposed panic button will become mandatory for all mobile phones, from from January 1, 2017. In addition, a built-in GPS navigation system would be mandatory in all devices, commencing from January 1, 2018. Telecom Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said in a statement, “Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women.”
As per an official notification in the Gazette of India, feature phones without a panic button should be able to make the emergency call by pressing the ‘5’ or ‘9’ numeric keys. Smartphones without the button should make the call by pressing the same buttons or by pressing the power on/off button thrice in quick succession. In addition, the notification states that no mobile manufacturing company shall sell new phones in the country without a facility of locating the device via GPS. However, the notification does not mention where the emergency call would connect to.
In December 2015, it was reported that Union Minister, Maneka Gandhi, had spoken to mobile manufacturers to introduce a panic button on phones from March 2016. Pressing the button would immediately call the police. As per the report, existing customers would be able to upgrade their existing devices with this feature, while new phones would come with the button.
This step taken by the government seems to be welcomed by mobile manufacturers. For instance, Karbonn Mobiles has announced that they have already been working on a mobile SOS app for women. This app would rolling out to their customers within a few months.
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Shrey Pacheco
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