Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) (Amendment) Rules, 2024

5939 GI/202 4 (1) रजिस्ट्री सं. डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No . D. L. -33004/99 EXTRAORDINARY PART II —Section 3 —Sub-section ( i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 532] NEW DELHI , TUE SDAY , SEPTEMBER 17, 2024/BHADRA 26, 1946 CG-DL-E-17092024-257198 MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (Department of Telecommunications) NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 17th September, 2024 G.S.R. 574(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by sub -section (1) read with clause (v) of sub -section (2) of section 10 of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (17 of 1933), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Services for Disaster Alerts) Rules, 2023, namely: - 1. Short title and commencement: - (1) These rules may be called the Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) (Amendment) Rules, 2024. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. Definition: - In the Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) Rules, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule , after sub -clause (c), the following sub -clauses shall be inserted, namely: - “(d) “company” means a company as defined in the Indian Companies Act, 2013; (e) “business entity” means an organisation that one or more people form to conduct business; (f) “Software Developer” means a business entity providing software for the mobile handsets.” 3. In the said rule, in rule 3 :- (a) In sub rule (1), for clause (d) , the following shall be substituted, namely: - “(d) alert sound, vibration, and light duration shall be maintained for a minimum period of thirty seconds under standard circumstances, and for fifteen seconds when the device auto -reads the message, or until acknowledgment by the user or for such duration as may be specified from time to time; and”; (b) In sub rule (2), for clause (a) , the following shall be substituted, namely: - “(a) mandatory receipt of cell broadcast alert messages on the channels as may be specified from time to time; and” (c) for sub-rule (3), the following shall be substituted, namely: - “3. (a) No smartphone or feature phone shall be sold in India without mandatory support to receive cell broadcast messages in all Indian languages as per the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India; (b). no smartphone or feature phone shall be sold in India without mandatory support for auto -readout in Indian accent of cell broadcasts received in Hindi and English; (c). manufactures, companies, software developers, or any other business entities involved in the manufacturing, importing, or development of operating software for smartphones or feature phones intended for sale in India, shall incorporate the auto -readout feature in Indian accent for four languages, other than Hindi and English, as per the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India every year from the date of this notification, until this feature is incorporated for all languages as per the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.” [F. No. 15 -2/2021 -DM] SANJAY KUMAR AGRAWAL , Dy. Director General (Disaste Management) Note: The principal rules were published in The Gazette of India, Extraordinary, part II, Section 3, Sub -section (i), vide notification no. G.S.R.278 (E) dated the 6th April, 2023 . Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring R oad, Mayapuri, New Delhi -110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi -110054.