Govt 'Uninstalls' Compulsory Order for Tracking App; Rupee Falls Below 90 to the Dollar; Europe’s Naked Nudge to India on Russia Adds to List of Diplomatic Setbacks

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Snapshot of the day

December 3, 2025

It may be the quickest uninstall yet. Severe backlash has forced a rethink on the Modi government–backed so-called cybersecurity app, which was to be pre-installed on smartphones. Critics warned it could allow authorities access to private messages, recalling Pegasus-style snooping. The communications ministry has now said the government has “decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.”

The government’s statement came only hours after Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia told parliament that there is no scope for “snooping” through the government backed cybersecurity app and the directions to telecom companies and manufacturers “may be changed” following feedback from the public. Outside parliament he also said paragraph 7b of the directions had been ‘misconstrued’ and ‘nowhere does 7b say that the user cannot delete the app”.

While the press release from the ministry made no mention of the criticism surrounding the government’s move to issue directions to smartphone manufacturers and telecom operators on November 28 – only made public on December 1 after a Reuters report – it said that its intention was to “provide access to cyber security.” “It helps in “Jan bhagidari” by all citizens in