'Emergency alert: Severe': Why some smartphone users in India got this message from the govt – Business Today
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The government carried out a trial of its “emergency alert system” by transmitting a test message to multiple smartphone users on Thursday.
The received flash message stated, “This is a TEST MESSAGE sent through the Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. Please disregard this message as no action is needed from your side. This message is part of the Pan-India Emergency Alert System testing being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority. Its purpose is to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies.”
Around 1.35 p.m., the flash message was broadcasted to many smartphones via the Cell Broadcasting System managed by the Department of Telecommunication (C-DOT).
In response to the alert, numerous users took to Twitter (now X) to discuss it.
One user shared, “Received a Government Emergency Severe Alert on my Mobile with a Loud Beep! Quite intriguing! It came twice, first in English and then in Hindi.”
“I received it as well. Now I’ve gotten another one that reads: Emergency alert: Severe. Police Warning in this vicinity until 12.14 AM CDT Execute Action 200404. Does anyone understand the meaning?” queried another user.
As per the Department of Telecommunication’s Cell Broadcasting System, routine assessments of mobile operators’ and cell broadcast systems’ emergency warning capabilities will be performed across different regions.
Collaborating with the National Disaster Management Authority, the government is actively enhancing its readiness for calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, and flash floods. In the preceding month, a similar alert trial was conducted with various users across the country.
This emergency alert message flashed twice on my phone’s screen. Is it legit or has my phone been hacked?@DoT_India pic.twitter.com/9RVmsd5FMd
Did y’all get this?
“This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. This message has been sent to TEST Pan-India Emergency Alert System being implemented by National Disaster Management Authority.” pic.twitter.com/Q7Oat9ZC20
From Signals to Solutions: Emergency Alerts are the first step towards effective crisis management.#EmergencyAlert #Services #Information #UPSC #IAS #Notification #Emergency #Alert #Telecommunication #DisasterManagement #Broadcast #Message #TelecomMinistry #TRAI #Communication… pic.twitter.com/WTrYHxWb8c
Similar to an Amber Alert?
The system described in the text shares similarities with Amber Alerts, but it is not exactly the same.
The system mentioned in the text is an “emergency alert system” implemented by the government of India. It is designed to send out timely alerts to smartphone users during various emergencies, such as natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, flash floods) or other critical situations. The purpose of this system is to enhance public safety by providing important information and instructions to people in affected areas.
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Amber Alerts, on the other hand, is a specific type of emergency alert system used primarily in North America (United States, Canada, and some other countries). Amber Alerts are focused specifically on locating missing children, particularly cases of child abduction. These alerts are issued when law enforcement agencies believe that a child is in imminent danger, and they provide information about the child, the suspect, and any relevant details to help the public assist in locating the child and apprehending the suspect.
While both systems are intended to provide critical information to the public during emergencies, the Indian “emergency alert system” described in the text seems to have a broader scope, covering a range of emergency situations, whereas Amber Alerts are specifically tailored to child abduction cases.
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