India Gears Up for Nationwide Civil Defence Drills Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan

In a landmark move to strengthen national resilience and civilian preparedness in the face of escalating cross-border threats, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched an unprecedented nationwide civil defence drill from May 7 to May 9, 2025. This massive exercise, the largest of its kind since the 1971 India-Pakistan war, involves over 4 lakh volunteers and targets 244 vulnerable districts across India. The initiative simulates hostile attack scenarios to assess the readiness of both government agencies and the general population amid rising tensions following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.

Why in News?

The MHA initiated this large-scale civil defence initiative in response to escalating India-Pakistan tensions after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. The government has taken strong diplomatic and security steps, including, Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Cancelling Pakistani visas, Conducting national security reviews chaired by PM Narendra Modi with the Defence Secretary and NSA Ajit Doval.

Key Details of the Civil Defence Drills

• Dates: May 7–9, 2025
• Organised by: Ministry of Home Affairs
• Scope: Drills conducted in 244 categorised civil defence districts across India, extending to the village level in border areas like Jammu and Kashmir

Participants

• Directorate General of Civil Defence
• State Police
• NCC, NSS, and NYKS volunteers
• School and college students
• State and District Disaster Management Authorities
• Fire and rescue teams
• Health departments
• Local administration
• Indian Air Force (for communication linkage)

Civil Defence Activities Include

• Activation of air-raid sirens and crash blackout drills
• Camouflaging of vital installations
• Evacuation planning and implementation through mock drills
• Operationalisation of control rooms and shadow control rooms
• Testing of emergency hotline/radio communication links with the IAF
• Maintenance and use of bunkers and trenches
• Deployment of firefighting, rescue, and warden services
• Civilian and student training in emergency protocols

Significance and Background

• First full-scale civil defence mobilisation since the 1971 India-Pakistan war
• Emphasises passive defence strategies initiated during the 1962 war with China
• Reinforces last-mile preparedness, especially in vulnerable border regions
• Reflects lessons and strategic intent from the 2022 Chintan Shivir in Surajkund, Haryana

Recent Preceding Activities

• May 1, 2025: Civil defence drills conducted in Arnia Sector, near the international border in Jammu
• May 4, 2025: A 30-minute blackout drill conducted in Ferozepur district, Punjab
• May 6, 2025: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a video conference with Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to review preparedness for the May 7 drill

Objectives of the Drill

• Evaluate the air raid warning system
• Test hotline/radio communication with the IAF
• Assess the efficacy of control rooms
• Train civilians and students in survival techniques
• Test and deploy blackout measures and camouflage for installations
• Assess readiness of evacuation plans
• Judge the responsiveness of warden and depot control services

What is a Civil Defence Mock Drill?

• A civil defence mock drill is a simulated emergency preparedness activity designed to test how agencies and civilians react to threats like aerial bombings, natural disasters, or enemy attacks. These drills reduce panic, save lives, and build awareness through real-time simulations.

Category-Wise Distribution

244 Civil Defence Districts

• Category 1:  13 Dsitricts
• Category 2:  201 Dsitricts
• Category 3:  45 Dsitricts