Following nationwide uproar over its earlier directive to make the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app mandatory on all new mobile phones to be sold in India, the Union government on Wednesday withdrew its previous order. In a fresh announcement, the Centre said pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile phones is no longer mandatory.

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had earlier in the day sought to assuage concerns in Parliament and said that the app does not have any surveillance capability and will not be activated unless a user decides to register.

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“Snooping is neither possible nor will it happen with the Sanchar Saathi safety app,” he told Parliament.

In its latest order issued Wednesday afternoon, the Centre said it had made th

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