UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cell Broadcast System (CBS) Launched by Union Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia; System developed indigenously under the guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah

Q1. With reference to the Cell Broadcast System (CBS) launched in India in 2026, which one of the following organizations is the indigenous developer of the system?

  • A. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
  • B. Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)
  • C. Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL)
  • D. Education and Research Network (ERNET) India

Q2. In the context of mobile telecommunications, the term 'Cell Broadcast', as used in India's Cell Broadcast System (CBS) for disaster alerts, is best described as:

  • A. A one-to-many messaging service that simultaneously pushes the same text message to every mobile handset present in a defined cell-tower coverage area, using a dedicated broadcast channel separate from SMS and mobile internet.
  • B. A bulk SMS service that queues and sequentially delivers individual point-to-point text messages to all subscribers registered in a database for a given region.
  • C. An application-based push notification service that uses the mobile internet of subscribers who have installed a designated disaster alert app on their handsets.
  • D. A location-based service that uses GPS coordinates obtained from each handset to selectively deliver voice calls from a central disaster control room.

Q3. The indigenously developed Cell Broadcast System (CBS), launched nationwide in May 2026, is designed to deliver geo-targeted emergency alerts across how many generations of cellular mobile networks?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q4. With reference to the Cell Broadcast System (CBS) launched in May 2026 and the pre-existing SACHET platform, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike the SMS-based dissemination under SACHET, CBS uses a one-to-many broadcast channel that does not require recipients' phone numbers or installation of any application. 2. While SACHET is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) recommended by the ITU, CBS has been built on an indigenous proprietary protocol and is not integrated with the CAP framework. 3. Both SACHET and CBS have been developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecommunications. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike the SMS-based dissemination under SACHET, CBS uses a one-to-many broadcast channel that does not require recipients' phone numbers or installation of any application.
  2. While SACHET is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) recommended by the ITU, CBS has been built on an indigenous proprietary protocol and is not integrated with the CAP framework.
  3. Both SACHET and CBS have been developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecommunications.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), which indigenously developed the Cell Broadcast System (CBS), functions as the premier telecom R&D arm of which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications
  • B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • C. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Ministry of Science and Technology
  • D. Department of Space under the Prime Minister's Office

Q6. The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), which forms the technical backbone of India's SACHET integrated alert platform and the recently launched Cell Broadcast System, is a standard recommended by which one of the following international organisations?

  • A. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • B. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • C. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • D. International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Q7. With reference to the SACHET Integrated Alert System operationalised by the National Disaster Management Authority, which one of the following organisations indigenously developed the platform?

  • A. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
  • B. National Informatics Centre (NIC)
  • C. Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)
  • D. Education and Research Network (ERNET) India

Q8. With reference to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. It is established under Section 3 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, with the Prime Minister of India as its ex officio Chairperson.
  • B. The Union Home Minister is invariably the ex officio Chairperson of the Authority.
  • C. The Prime Minister, as Chairperson, is solely empowered to perform all functions of the Authority and no Vice-Chairperson can be designated.
  • D. Its total membership, including the Chairperson, must in no case exceed seven.

Q9. C-DOT's Cell Broadcast Solution was conferred the SKOCH Award 2025 during which edition of the SKOCH Summit, held on the theme 'Resourcing Viksit Bharat'?

  • A. 102nd SKOCH Summit
  • B. 103rd SKOCH Summit
  • C. 104th SKOCH Summit
  • D. 105th SKOCH Summit

Q10. Regional public warning systems such as WEA (United States), ETWS, EU-Alert and KPAS (South Korea), which use Cell Broadcast as the underlying delivery technology, are standardised under the specifications of which one of the following bodies?

  • A. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • B. 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
  • C. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
  • D. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)