Following fresh directives from the Centre, all states and Union Territories are set to carry out a nationwide civil defence security drill on Tuesday. Although the official communication to the states’ chief secretaries does not explicitly mention the recent tensions with Pakistan, the timing—just after the Pahalgam terror attack—strongly suggests a strategic move aimed at national preparedness. This will be the first such extensive exercise since the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which resulted in Pakistan’s defeat and the formation of Bangladesh.
What You Need to Know About the Civil Defence Drill
According to a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the exercise will take place across 244 Civil Defence districts. “The conduct of the exercise is planned up to the village level. This exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms across all States and Union Territories,” the notification states.
The drill is expected to witness participation from District Controllers, local authorities, civil defence wardens and volunteers, Home Guard personnel (both active and reservist), NCC and NSS members, NYKS representatives, and students from schools and colleges. “The drill should see active participation of the District Controller, various district authorities, civil defence wardens/volunteers, Home Guard (active /reservists volunteers), NCC, NSS, NYKS, college and school students.”
Civilians will also receive basic training to respond in case of a “hostile attack.” The Home Ministry has laid out nine core objectives for the drill, including testing the effectiveness of air raid warning systems and preparing communities for potential aerial strikes. Hotline and radio communications with the Air Force will be activated during the exercise. Control rooms and shadow control rooms will also be tested to ensure they can operate efficiently under pressure.
Training will include “crash blackout measures”—temporary blackouts designed to simulate responses during air raids. Residents may be asked to switch off lights for a certain duration. The drill also involves the camouflaging of key infrastructure such as refineries, airfields, and rail yards to reduce visibility to enemy aircraft.
Evacuation drills will help authorities rehearse the safe relocation of civilians from high-risk zones to secure locations. Additionally, citizens will be trained in firefighting, first aid, and shelter-building techniques to enhance individual and community-level resilience.
