India’s biggest wartime readiness drills today
New Delhi, May 6: In a sweeping demonstration of national preparedness, India is set to conduct one of the largest civil defence and security exercises in its recent history, with mock drills scheduled across all 244 ëcivil defence districtsí on Wednesday.
The exercise, which spans the length and breadth of the country, comes amid rising geopolitical tensions with Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
This nationwide mobilisation marks the first civil defence drill on this scale since the 1971 India-Pakistan War and will encompass districts housing critical infrastructure such as nuclear plants, military bases, oil refineries, and hydroelectric projects.
According to officials, these drills aim to simulate real-time hostile attack scenarios ñ including air raids, blackouts, evacuation, crowd control, and camouflage operations - to assess the readiness of both infrastructure and civilian response mechanisms.
Participants will include students, employees, hospital and transport workers, civil defence volunteers, Police, paramilitary, and armed forces personnel.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed states and union territories to implement these drills with a high degree of seriousness, citing ìnew and complex threatsî emerging in the current geopolitical context.
The exercise plan was finalised during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, with the participation of top civil and Police officers.
The drills are being coordinated with support from local authorities, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and elite units like the National Security Guard (NSG) in sensitive areas.
In Delhi, high-footfall zones like Connaught Place have been earmarked and authorities are testing air raid sirens, evacuation protocols, and public cooperation mechanisms.
In Uttar Pradesh while 19 high-risk districts were initially identified, Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh Prashant Kumar confirmed drills will be conducted across all districts in the state while vertical coordination between civil, Police, disaster, and fire services is being ensured.
In Punjab, drills will span 20 districts, with emphasis on border security and safeguarding of sensitive installations.
In Rajasthan, border districts like Jaisalmer, Jaipur, and Bikaner have been placed on heightened alert amid intelligence inputs while authorities are simulating infiltration scenarios and communication blackouts.
In Maharashtra 16 districts including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik will hold exercises with a focus on urban civil protection and refinery security.
In Odisha with the upcoming Rath Yatra festival, the drills in 12 districts including Puri are being augmented with NSG deployment and religious site protection.
In Karnataka, urban-centric preparedness drills will be conducted in three districts.
In Gujarat, 15 districts, especially those housing nuclear and industrial hubs like Surat, will engage in advanced emergency preparedness tests.
In Manipur, fire services have deployed motorcycle-based quick response teams in Imphal to navigate congested urban areas efficiently.
The civil defence districts, distinct from regular administrative units, are designated based on strategic importance like the presence of a cantonment, refinery, or nuclear installation.
Category 1 districts like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kalpakkam, Surat, and Tarapur are deemed the most vulnerable and thus will be under special operational scrutiny during the drills.
The drill activities and objectives include activation of air raid warning systems; operationalisation of hotlines and communication links with the Indian Air Force; testing of control and shadow control rooms; crash blackouts; camouflaging of critical installations; evacuation simulations; training civilians in self-protection measures; cleaning and refurbishment of bunkers and trenches and public advisories to maintain emergency kits, torches, and medical supplies.
The drills will extend down to village levels in many areas and include participation from civil society organisations like NCC, NSS, NYKS, and student volunteers from schools and colleges.
These exercises follow Prime Minister Narendra Modiís declaration after the Pahalgam attack, vowing that the perpetrators and conspirators would be ìpursued to the ends of the earthî and punished ìbeyond their imagination.î
In light of these statements, the Home Ministryís initiative reflects a proactive posture toward preparedness, reflecting a shift from a reactive to a preventive national security strategy.
Sources said that a recent central review found several civil defence facilities across the country in dire need of repairs, further prompting this intensive countrywide campaign to enhance preparedness and resilience.
Authorities have encouraged active public involvement in the drills, not only to raise awareness but to instil a culture of readiness among citizens.
Educational and corporate institutions have been roped in to facilitate the dissemination of civil defence protocols and evacuation techniques.
