Nationwide Civilian Training Drills: The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed various states, particularly those near Pakistan, such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, to conduct extensive practice drills on May 7 to enhance civil defense preparedness in the event of an attack.
This instruction comes after several security discussions chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with senior defense and intelligence leaders, including the Defence Secretary and the National Security Adviser. The Prime Minister has recently met with the Air Force and Navy chiefs as well, focusing on national security after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Civil Defence Directorate General will manage these drills. The drills will include:
– Testing air raid warning sirens to ensure public alert systems work properly.
– Training civilians and students on how to stay safe during emergencies, such as where to take shelter and how to perform basic first aid.
– Practicing blackout procedures, where lights are switched off to make buildings less visible during a possible airstrike.
– Camouflaging important sites like power stations and communication towers to protect them from aerial or satellite detection.
– Updating and practicing evacuation plans so people can be quickly and safely moved to secure areas during a crisis.
The exercises are anticipated to take two to three days and will include local officials, civil defense volunteers, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, and NYKS participants, along with students. After the exercise, each state and union territory will submit a report detailing how the drill went and what improvements are needed.
These mock drills are being held as a precaution, given the recent rise in tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. The most recent time extensive drills like these took place was during the 1971 war and the Kargil conflict. The goal is to keep both the public and emergency teams prepared for any possible conflict or emergency situation.
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