Bhubaneswar: The civil defence drill planned for May 29 in states bordering Pakistan—Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir—under “Operation Shield” has been postponed.
The Indian government had scheduled the mock drill across all districts in states and Union Territories along the western border to showcase preparedness against potential terrorist attacks and evaluate response strategies in the event of air raids, drone attacks, missile strikes, and other threats. The exercise, as outlined by the Directorate General of Fire Services and Home Guards, would also evaluate emergency response coordination, civilian evacuation procedures, and inter-agency communication in response to potential cross-border conflicts or terrorist attacks.
Officials had said that the mock drill would involve sirens, emergency vehicle movement, temporary traffic diversions, and public announcements to simulate a real-time disaster response. The public was advised not to panic and to cooperate with the authorities.
Hours later, governments in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, however, said that the exercise has been postponed due to administrative reasons. “It is hereby intimated that the civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’, which was planned to be held on 29.05.2025, is hereby postponed due to administrative reasons,” Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan information departments said in a circular.
“It is requested that necessary directions to all the controllers of civil defence and other stakeholders may be issued accordingly. Next dates for the exercise shall be issued subsequently,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has proposed June 3 for a civil defence exercise in a letter to the Centre, noting that their civil defence personnel are currently undergoing training with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The first nationwide civil defence exercise took place just before Operation Sindoor, which was a retaliatory strike targeting terror camps and military infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). “During the 1st Civil Defence Exercise, held on 07.05.2025, critical gaps in the Civil Defence preparedness of the vulnerable areas of the country were observed. Instructions to take necessary actions to suitable address the issues were also issued vide this directorate letter dated 09.05.2025. Accordingly, emergency powers were invoked and funding arrangement through SDRF was also done,” the government notification said.
