Centre launches emergency alert system for citizens

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

3 MAY 2026

• Mobile phones across the country went abuzz after Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the cell broadcast alert system that will warn citizens about emergency and natural disasters in their area.
• “The Cell Broadcast Alert System is developed indigenously by C-DOT in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah,” an official statement said.
• Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established in 1984 with an initial mandate of designing and developing digital exchanges.
• C-DOT has expanded to develop telecom equipment, both wireless and wired, since the 1980s.
• The Department of Telecom had already alerted citizens about the trial run of the service on April 29, 2026 to avoid panic, with an appeal to ignore any alerts they receive.
• The test message read: “Extremely Severe Alert. India launched Cell Broadcast using indigenous technology, for instant disaster alerting service for its citizens. Alert citizens, safe nation. No action is required by the public upon receipt of this message. This is a test message- Government of India.”
• The alert system was sent across the network of all telecom operators across the country, except in poll-bound States.
• Through this system, critical information related to disasters, emergencies, and public safety will be transmitted directly and instantly to citizens’ mobile phones, the statement said.
• The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) as recommended by the UN body International Telecommunication Union (ITU).