Mock drills: India to conduct ‘Operation Shield' in these states; check all details

Time of India

a day ago

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.
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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)