28-05-2025
Mock Drills In 4 Border States Amid Heightened Tensions With Pakistan: What You Need To Know
In the background of rising tensions between Pakistan and India, rehearsals will be carried out on Thursday night in four border states that are pivotal — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. The exercise is meant to bolster preparedness against possible cross-border threats and will have the participation of both civil and security agencies, officials said.
The drill, initiated by the central government, will reproduce emergency response procedures such as air raid alerts, evacuation measures, and control rooms and civil defence services testing. The aim is to assess preparedness and coordination among departments involved in disaster and conflict response.
Pakistan-bordering districts' drills were confirmed by Tina Dabi, District Collector of Barmer (Rajasthan), and with the importance of public cooperation and vigilance noted during the drill.
The drive comes in the wake of Ministry of Home Affairs' Operation Abhyas, a national-level mock drill held earlier this month, just ahead of India's Operation Sindoor — a large-scale security operation following recent cross-border tensions.
In the previous mock drill, air raid warning sirens were sounded in several cities and civilians — even school children — were informed of emergency procedures. It was the first full-scale civil defence exercise since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, covering 250 sites in 33 states and union territories.
Following the recent four-day war, 32 airports in northern India were shut down temporarily, and schools in some of the border districts of Rajasthan and Punjab were shut as a precautionary action.
The public in the affected areas has been asked to stay calm but alert on Thursday during the drills and to strictly adhere to the directions of the local authorities.
