The Ministry of Home Affairs has rescheduled the second round of civil defence mock drills, named “Operation Shield,” to take place on May 31. This decision comes after the drills were originally set for May 29 but postponed due to unspecified administrative reasons.
Spanning across all western states and union territories that share a border with Pakistan, the drills will include regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Gujarat. These extensive exercises aim to simulate coordinated responses from both civilian and security forces to potential hostile scenarios, including drone attacks and aerial strikes, amidst rising tensions with Pakistan.
Late Wednesday evening, officials from states such as Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, confirmed the delay in the planned drills. Though the Ministry has not disclosed the specific reasons for the postponement, there has been a strong emphasis on the significance of these exercises in light of recent threats and operational challenges.
The forthcoming drills follow the first national civil defence exercise held on May 7, which revealed considerable weaknesses in the readiness of various border regions. Coinciding with this exercise, the Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor—a retaliatory strike against terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir—after an April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.
Operation Sindoor sparked a four-day escalation along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border from May 7 to May 10. Throughout this period, India executed targeted strikes on nine terror sites, while Pakistani forces responded with heavy shelling and attempts at cross-border drone and missile incursions.
In light of the vulnerabilities highlighted during the May 7 exercise, the government activated emergency protocols and allocated additional funding through the State Disaster Response Force to enhance civil defence preparedness.
The upcoming mock drill on May 31 is set to evaluate the silent and general recalls of civil defence personnel, the coordination between local authorities and central agencies, as well as public communication strategies during scenarios of heightened threat. Officials are optimistic that this second set of drills will play a vital role in bolstering the nation’s emergency preparedness in border regions confronting ongoing cross-border threats.
