In response to growing national security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union Home Ministry has directed all states and Union Territories to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7. The directive comes amid what the government describes as “new and complex threats” emerging in the current geopolitical climate, particularly tensions with Pakistan.
A letter issued by the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards outlines a series of measures to be implemented during the drill. These include activating air-raid sirens, clearing bunkers and trenches, educating civilians on protective civil-defence protocols, simulating blackouts, and camouflaging critical infrastructure.
The exercise will also test hotline and radio links with the Indian Air Force, as well as the operational readiness of control rooms. Planned down to the village level, the drills aim to gauge the preparedness and coordination of local and state-level civil defence systems.
All 244 categorised civil defence districts will participate, with involvement from civil defence wardens, home guards, NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra volunteers, and students. The ministry stressed that full-scale participation is crucial for effective evaluation of emergency protocols.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has chaired multiple high-level meetings since the April 22 attack in South Kashmir that killed 26 people—mostly tourists—has vowed to hunt down those responsible. He declared that the perpetrators and conspirators will be punished “beyond their imagination” and that justice will be pursued “to the ends of the earth”.
