Indo-Pak Tensions: Amid the rising tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam Terror attack, India has decided to conduct a mock drill across the country to boost civil defence preparedness. The Union Home Ministry has decided to organise a Civil Defence Exercise and Rehearsal across 244 categorised districts tomorrow, i.e. May 7. The Union Home Ministry has written to Chief Secretaries of states asking them to assess and enhance the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms across states and Union Territories.

The exercise is planned up to the village level. “Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to organise Civil Defence Exercise and Rehearsal across 244 categorised Civil Defence Districts of the country on May 7, 2025,” the letter said.

The primary objectives of the mock drill include assessing the effectiveness of air raid warning systems, operationalisation of hotline, radio communication links with IAF, testing functionality of control rooms and shadow rooms, training of civilians including students on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of hostile attack and provision of crash blackout measures. Since the mock drill will be conducted across several states and at the village level, here are key things many civilians can experience for the first time: 

* There will be Air Raid Warning Sirens, the first since the 1971 war. You must have heard/seen such sirens blazing in Israel when Hamas launched a missile attack on them. Now, such sirens will be blazing in India during the mock drill. The siren is basically a warning for civilians to take cover/shelter at a safe place to avoid bombing/missile attacks.

* During the mock drills, civilians, students, etc will be trained on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack.

* Provision of crash blackout measures will be implemented. It means provision for early camouflaging of vital plants/installations/ buildings will be made. Crash blackout measures” refer to emergency procedures designed to immediately reduce or eliminate visible light and other detectable signals from buildings, cities, or installations during hostile situations—typically air raids or attacks. The goal is to make targets less visible or completely invisible to enemy surveillance or targeting systems, especially at night.

* Updation of evacuation plan & its rehearsal: Civilians and police forces will train for an evacuation plan in case of any attack.

The Home Ministry had on May 2 written to Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs about civil defence preparedness in the vulnerable areas and districts. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had in January written to Chief Secretaries, urging them to personally look into and review civil defence set up in their states.

The Home Secretary had said that Civil Defence is an integral part of nation’s passive defence strategy. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during their address at the ‘Chintan Shivir’, held at Surajkund, Haryana, in October 2022, had emphasized the importance of the Civil Defence preparedness in the country, especially in bordering and coastal areas.

Tensions have risen with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. The government has said that the perpetrators will be given severe punishment.