India, May 2 -- On Saturday (May 2) afternoon, mobile phones across India beeped simultaneously. If you were at home with your family, relaxing, and suddenly all phones started beeping together, chances are you may have panicked, wondering what the emergency was. However, it was nothing but a trial of the government's disaster alert system.

The alert came with a message: 'Extremely severe alert! India, launches 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."

In a post on X on Friday, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) informed citizens a...