Telecom Commission, on March 28, 2016, accepted recommendation by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for making 112 as single emergency number for all services like police, fire and ambulance in the country.
However, as per the notification, current emergency contact numbers like 100 for the police, 101 for the fire department, 102 for ambulance are to be continued for a year.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had suggested the adoption of 112 as the national emergency number in its recommendations submitted to the telecom department in April 2015. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had also proposed free of cost SMS based access to the mobile phone users to contact the authorities, in case of any emergency.
“In emergency situations every passing second counts, whether it is a burglary, theft, road rage, or a fire spreading, or a citizen struggling with a heart attack the first few minutes are crucial. It is likely that this crucial time may be lost in figuring out what number to dial,” TRAI had said, according to The Hindu.
Currently, in most countries, 112 is a part of the GSM standard and all GSM-compatible telephone handsets are able to dial 112 even when locked or with no SIM card present.
