Centre notifies rules for unified command for 3 services amid India-Pak tensions
Centre notifies rules for unified military command across Army, Navy and Air Force amid India-Pak tensionsThis is a developing story. It will be updated.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mock drills: India to conduct ‘Operation Shield' in these states; check all details
India will carry out major mock drills on May 31 in disticts of states adjoining the western border of the country as part of a countrywide emergency preparedness programme titled Operation Shield , according to an official statement. The states where drills will take place include Rajasthan, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir. In Punjab, the drill has been scheduled separately for June 3. The Punjab government wrote to the Centre requesting the alternate date, citing that its civil defence personnel were currently attending training sessions being conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Gujarat will also conduct the mock drills, according to media reports. The coordinated drills aim to assess how well prepared both the local administration and the civilian population are to respond in the event of emergencies such as air strikes or bombings. These will be full-scale simulation exercises designed to test the operation of control rooms, the effectiveness of air raid warning systems, and the capabilities of civil defence services. Areas of focus include the functioning of wardens, firefighting teams, rescue units, depot management, and evacuation plans. Live Events Sirens will be sounded during the drills and the entire emergency preparedness system will be observed closely. The Ministry of Home Affairs has given responsibility for overseeing the drills to the Directorate General of Fire Services and Home Guards. The goal is to address serious weaknesses in civil defence systems that were revealed during an earlier exercise held on May 7. This latest round of mock drills, under the name Operation Shield, will involve emergency simulations in the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh. The drills will include blackout protocols, air raid siren tests, and mock evacuations to test coordination and response time across agencies. Simulated scenarios will involve drone or missile strikes. Emergency medical teams, blood transport units, and communication hotlines between local administrations and the Indian Air Force will be activated. Civil defence volunteers from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and Bharat Scouts and Guides will also take part. The Civil Defence Department in Rajasthan has already started issuing instructions to all districts, with special focus on those that share a border with Pakistan. A mock drill and blackout exercise is planned across all 41 districts of Rajasthan, including border areas like Jaisalmer, to prepare for emergency responses in case of an airstrike or wartime scenario. Ahead of the drill, the Jaisalmer district administration completed all required arrangements, and Civil Defence teams held training sessions under the supervision of qualified officers. ANI, citing official sources, reported that the mock drill in Jaisalmer is set to begin at 5:00 PM. However, the exact location has not been disclosed for security reasons. As part of the preparations in Jaisalmer, six locations were selected for setting up airstrike warning sirens. A total of 72 Civil Defence personnel were deployed to operate the systems. These sirens will be used during the blackout phase to recreate the environment of an actual air attack. The drills will simulate air attack conditions and will be carried out at two to three locations in each district. In the evening, a blackout will be enforced as part of the drill, and residents have been encouraged to actively participate. In Haryana, a complete blackout will be carried out at all key and strategic points, with the exception of emergency and essential services. The Haryana government has scheduled a major civil defence exercise under Operation Shield for May 31, covering all 22 districts of the state. The aim is to improve the state's emergency readiness and response systems. The mock exercises in Haryana will take place on May 31 from 5 PM to 9 PM. Officials said the blackout will begin at 8 PM and continue until 8:15 PM. They also clarified that the exercises are routine drills and should not cause alarm among the public. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary of Haryana's Home Department, said on Friday: 'The exercise aims to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between the civil administration, defence forces, and local communities and to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring swift and effective response during any crisis.' She said that there are currently about 32,000 Civil Defence Volunteers in the state, who will also take part in the exercise. These activities follow the earlier nationwide drill Operation Abhyas, also organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and held on May 7. That drill coincided with the launch of Operation Sindoor , a military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Operation Sindoor led to the destruction of nine high-value terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and the elimination of more than 100 terrorists. Authorities have said that mock drills like these are important for strengthening the country's emergency response systems. What is Operation Shield and why is it being conducted now? Operation Shield is a full-scale emergency preparedness exercise involving airstrike and missile strike simulations across India's border states. It aims to test coordination among civilian and military agencies and plug gaps found in earlier drills. Which states are participating in the Operation Shield mock drills? The large-scale mock drills are being conducted in Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Punjab, and Chandigarh. Punjab will hold its drill on June 3 due to an ongoing NDRF training programme. What will residents experience during the blackout and siren drills? Citizens in the affected districts will hear air raid sirens and experience a planned blackout lasting up to 15 minutes. Mock evacuations and rescue missions will also be carried out as part of the simulations. How is Operation Shield linked to recent security operations? The May 31 drills follow Operation Abhyas and Operation Sindoor, launched earlier in May. Operation Sindoor was a retaliatory military strike destroying terror bases in Pakistan and PoK after the April 22 Pahalgam attack. (with inputs from agencies)
Hans India
41 minutes ago
- Hans India
No country called Pak terrorist state: Cong
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera launched a sharp attack on the Centre's foreign policy on Friday, saying its result was seen during and after 'Operation Sindoor.' "No country called Pakistan a terrorist state," Khera said. While speaking to ANI, the senior Congress leader said, "The result of our failed foreign policy was seen post-Pahalgam, during Operation Sindoor. No country called Pakistan a terrorist state; this is the result of your failed foreign policy. Then you launched Operation Sindoor, and no country gave a statement in your favour. Now, after Operation Sindoor, Kuwait has lifted visa restrictions on Pakistan. Iran, UAE, and Gulf countries are signing MoUs with Pakistan, and the most shocking thing is that yesterday, Russia signed an MoU with Pakistan to revive its very old steel mill, under which Pakistan will get $2.6 billion from Russia." He added, "This is the result of your failed foreign policy." Khera also refuted BJP leader Sambit Patra's criticism, defending Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and reiterating Congress's right to question the government.
Hans India
41 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rajnath: If Navy had acted, Pak would have split into 4
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh aboard India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, on Friday warned Pakistan of the Indian Navy's unmatched strength, stating that had the Navy joined its sister forces in active combat during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan would have faced a worse outcome than in 1971, surmising that it could have been divided into four parts. "1971 is a witness to this, that when the Indian Navy came into action, Pakistan was divided from one to two. If the Indian Navy had come into action in Operation Sindoor, then Pakistan would not only have been divided into two parts, but I think it would have been divided into four parts," Singh proclaimed. The Defence Minister was speaking during his visit to INS Vikrant, currently deployed in the Arabian Sea, where he reviewed operational readiness and praised the Navy's role in neutralising threats during the operation. Singh commended the Indian Navy's silent but effective role in bottling up Pakistani naval assets, asserting that their aggressive deployment, maritime dominance, and high state of preparedness prevented Pakistan from challenging Indian interests at sea and kept its naval assets confined to their own shores. "During 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian Navy has impressed every Indian with its silent service. Despite remaining silent, the Indian Navy succeeded in tying down the Pakistani Army," he said. "The role of the Navy in this entire integrated operation has been glorious. During Operation Sindoor, when the Air Force destroyed the terror bases on Pakistani soil, your aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, unmatched maritime domain awareness and maritime supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. They could not even muster the courage to come into the open sea," the minister added.
