Union Home Ministry has officially announced that “Operation Shield”, a large-scale civil defence mock drill, will be carried out on Saturday, May 31, from 5 pm onwards, across all districts in states and Union Territories bordering Pakistan, a government press release said. This means the exercise will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh. The drill was initially slated for May 29, but was postponed earlier this week due to what authorities described as “administrative reasons.” Officials have since confirmed that all preparations are now complete for the new date.
What Is Operation Shield To Be Held In Border States ?
Why In News
- Union Home Ministry has officially announced that “Operation Shield”, a large-scale civil defence mock drill, will be carried out on Saturday, May 31, from 5 pm onwards, across all districts in states and Union Territories bordering Pakistan, a government press release said.
- This means the exercise will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh. The drill was initially slated for May 29, but was postponed earlier this week due to what authorities described as “administrative reasons.” Officials have since confirmed that all preparations are now complete for the new date.
All About Operation Shield
- Operation Shield is part of a broader civil defence initiative launched by the government to assess and strengthen the country’s readiness in the face of possible external threats.
- The drill is designed to simulate various emergency scenarios, such as enemy air raids, drone intrusions, missile strikes, and mass evacuations. It will include silent and general recall of civil defence volunteers, evacuation drills, and emergency communication exercises. The first round of such mock exercises took place on May 7, the same day India launched Operation Sindoor , a retaliatory strike targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
- The strikes came in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which left 26 innocents dead. The situation escalated rapidly, with four days of military tension from May 7 to 10, during which Pakistan launched heavy artillery shelling and attempted drone and missile attacks along both the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).
Operation Shield: Why now?
- According to a government press statement issued on May 29, the decision to conduct Operation Shield stems from key lessons learned during the earlier exercise.
- “Several shortcomings were observed in the previous exercise,” the statement noted, adding that the upcoming drill aims to “fill the critical gaps and augment the Civil Defence preparedness against the hostile attack.”
- The press note further instructed local authorities to fully engage with the drill: “It is requested to plan and organise the Civil Defence Exercise ‘Operation Shield’ on 31.05.2025 at 1700 Hrs onwards (the exact time may be suited as per local convenience) by involving all local administration and stakeholders. An action taken report in this regard may be shared with this directorate,” the release said.
- The drill will focus especially on regions near the Line of Control, where the risk of cross-border aggression remains highest. Officials say the goal is to raise both preparedness levels and civilian awareness in these sensitive zones.
Operation Shield on May 31
- Punjab : There will be a blackout in Amritsar from 8 pm to 8:30 pm.
- There will be no blackout in the Walled City of Amritsar, which has the Golden Temple.
- There will be no blackout in the airport and the nearby villages.
- A mock drill of emergency services will be held from 5 pm to 6 pm.
- Haryana : The Haryana government will conduct the Civil Defence Exercise across all 22 districts
- The drills will begin at 5 pm and will be organised in compliance with the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Around 32,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across the state will contribute to this exercise.
- A controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 pm to 8.15 pm near vital installations, with the exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.
- Rajasthan : Rajasthan will organise a coordinated mock drill and blackout simultaneously in all 41 districts of the state.
- Directives to all district collectors and magistrates regarding a statewide blackout and mock drill have been issued by the civil defence department.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Jammu district adminstration has said that:
- The mock drill will be conducted from 8:00 PM to 8:15 PM
- The public is advised to switch off all lights and sources of illumination (inverter lights, solar lights, torches, mobile lights, vehicle lights, etc.) immediately after the siren sounds at 8:00 PM.
