Indian Government Announces Nationwide Mock Drill on May 7, 2025

NEW DELHI: The home ministry in the wake of growing security threats after the Pahalgam terror attack will hold a mock drill of the country's civil defence system across 244 districts on May 7, as part of an effort to upgrade emergency preparedness and public safety mechanisms.

Union home secretary Govind Mohan will examine the preparations with chief secretaries and heads of civil defence across the country in a video conference on Tuesday.

The mock drills, according to official communication by the directorate general of fire services, civil defence and home guards, include operationalising air-raid warning sirens, sanitizing and refurbishing bunkers and trenches, and imparting training for civilians on protective measures in the face of hostile attacks.

Other major activities involve activating crash-blackout procedures, camouflaging essential installations, revising evacuation schemes, and communication line testing with the Indian Air Force via hotline and radio networks. Control rooms and shadow control rooms will be tested for operational preparedness as well.

In the existing geo-political situation, there have arisen new and sophisticated threats/challenges, therefore, it would be advisable that maximum civil defence preparedness in the states/UTs is ensured at all times," the ministry said.

The exercise will be conducted down to the village level and will have participation from wardens of civil defence, home guards, cadets of NCC and NSS, volunteers of NYKS, and students of schools and colleges

The civil defence exercise comes in the wake of a lethal terror attack on April 22 in south Kashmir's Pahalgam, killing 26, including mainly tourists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to apprehend the attackers and take them to justice, stating they will be tracked "to the ends of the earth."