Staff Techdrunk 
The coming year could bring some bad news for lot of mobile users. There are reports coming that about 25 million mobiles phones will be rendered as un-usable because of security issues in the first week of January. The department of telecom (DOT) has asked all the network providers in India to disconnect the handsets, which don’t have IMEI (International mobile equipment identity) number.
It is being said that the action is taking place due to increasing fakes and use of Chinese mobile handsets that have flooded the Indian cellphone market. As many of these phones don’t have IMEI numbers and considering the terror attacks in the country, the government has decided to take a serious step like this.
In case you don’t know what IMEI number is, then it is a 15 digit code that is written underneath the battery of your mobile phone. The IMEI numbers is used as a tracking system by mobile operators to find about the call being made by phone. All the numbers of which you call are flashed on the system of operators and are used to get further information for security as well as billing.
The report also says that the “shut down” system will take place on 6 January, 2009, which is not too far away. So, if you are using a fake or a Chinese handset, check the battery of your phone for IMEI number or enter *#06# from mobile.
