Mobile phone operators have said that an Aadhaar number was never mandatory for new connections, but used only to re-verify existing subscribers, as per Department of Telecommunications’ ( DoT ) norms, rules which still stand.They added that they have been left confused by a recent report which quoted telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan as saying that telcos have been directed to also accept other modes of identification for issuing new connections, besides Aadhaar.“We never told our new customers that Aadhaar was mandatory. So, now we do not know if the secretary means for verifying new customers or re-verifying old ones. This has definitely led to confusion…,” said an official at one of the operators, who did not wish to be named.A DoT official also confirmed that Aadhaar was never mandatory for giving new connections, rather it was one of the documents that consumers had to give to get a new connection. The DoT had told the operators back in 2016 that they could use Aadhaar as just one of the documents to register new customers.The confusion arose after a media report quoted Sundararajan as saying that the ministry had directed telcos to allot SIM cards to also those without an Aadhaar number, on the basis of other IDs.A day later, Sundararajan was reported to have clarified, saying there has been no change in the current rules that say that Aadhaar is just one of the IDs needed for a new mobile phone connection, and those who don’t have it, can’t be denied a connection.Officials at all the telcos, asking not to be named, said they have no new instructions from the government on the matter. They added though that Aadhaar was a preferred mode of verification for new users as it made the process easier and faster, but it wasn’t the only mode as other IDs including driving licenses and passports are also accepted.