MHA Issues Advisory Against Use Of Air Raid Siren Sounds By Media Channels (Image: X/sanket)

New Delhi: As India remains on high alert following a wave of drone and missile attacks from Pakistan, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to all television and digital news channels, urging them to refrain from using Civil Defence air raid siren sounds in their programming except when used for community awareness purposes.

The advisory, issued on Saturday, comes amid growing concerns over public panic triggered by the repeated use of siren effects in news broadcasts, talk shows, and even promotional clips.

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These sounds, originally intended to alert the public during real air raids or defence emergencies, are now being widely misused across platforms.

The directive follows a reported air raid over Srinagar by Pakistani Air Force (PAF) fighters, as well as explosions at three key Pakistani airbases, developments that have significantly heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

In response, air raid sirens were activated in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and blackouts were enforced in several forward areas to protect civilians and strategic infrastructure.

The backdrop to this advisory includes ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s military operation targeting nine terror sites inside Pakistan, launched in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where terrorists with alleged links to Pakistan struck Indian soil.

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Since then, Pakistan has launched waves of drone and missile attacks targeting Indian military and civilian infrastructure across 26 locations, from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat.

India’s air defence systems, including surface-to-air missiles and electronic countermeasures, have successfully intercepted many of these threats.