In a large-scale civil defence drill, several states in India conducted coordinated blackouts on Wednesday as part of a nationwide emergency preparedness exercise under the MHA directive. The blackout was intended to test the nation’s preparedness to counter massive security threats and disruptions.

Major landmarks like Rashtrapati Bhavan and Vijay Chowk in the national capital, and Raj Bhavan in Patna, were among the major locations that took part in the drill. Barmer (Rajasthan), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat), Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), and Patna (Bihar) cities also joined in, conducting timed power shutdowns and synchronised mock drills.

#WATCH | Lights turn back on at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi following the blackout, as part of the mock drill ordered by the MHA. pic.twitter.com/82H3txVBcn
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2025

Large city hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Jaipur, and Gwalior also performed other exercises earlier during the day to test local response mechanisms and inter-agency coordination between security agencies. Officials added that the blackout drills were effective in measuring preparedness and interagency response effectiveness.

The civil defence drill was conducted merely hours after the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a high-accuracy military attack on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation was a reaction to the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 civilians, including a Nepali citizen.

During a press conference in Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi explained the aims and achievements of Operation Sindoor. According to Wing Commander Singh, the targets were identified with utmost care to prevent civilian casualties, reiterating the Indian Armed Forces’ commitment to neutralising militant infrastructure only.

“The strikes were aimed at delivering justice to the victims of the Pahalgam attack,” said Wing Commander Singh. “All nine terrorist camps were destroyed successfully, with zero civilian infrastructure damage.”

Col. Qureshi displayed the strike footage, including targets on camps at Muridke—where Mumbai attacker David Headley and 2008 Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab had been trained—and Sarjal in Sialkot, Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala, Markaz Abbas, and Mehmoona Joya camp.

Foreign Secretary Misri termed the Pahalgam attack an effort to upset the return of peace in Jammu and Kashmir as an act of “barbarity” meant to instill fear. “Victims were shot at close range in front of their families. It was a message of terror aimed at upsetting the stability of the region,” he stated.

Operation Sindoor is being viewed as India’s deepest military incursion into Pakistani territory since the 1971 war, marking a significant escalation in New Delhi’s counterterrorism doctrine.

The blackout drill and Operation Sindoor together signalled a heightened national security posture, with officials stressing the importance of preparedness and strategic decisiveness in the face of evolving threats.