New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various ministries and departments of the Government of India on Thursday to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments.
The meeting comes a day after Indian Armed Forces launched Op Sindoor against nine terror establishments in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The calibrated, high-precision missile and drone strikes destroyed the targets and killed over 100 terrorists.
Pakistan retaliated by carrying out strikes against Indian cities in the wee hours of Thursday, but the missiles were tracked and destroyed by Indian missile defence systems. India then launched a series of kamikaze drone attacks on nine Pakistani cities. Union minister of parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said during the day that Op Sindoor is still on.
Op Sindoor is the fallout of a gruesome terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22 that left 26 persons, mostly tourists from across the country, dead and several others injured. India has maintained the first strike was against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK and not against the government or military there.
At the meeting, the PM stressed upon the need for seamless coordination among ministries and agencies to uphold operational continuity and institutional resilience. He reviewed the planning and preparation by ministries to deal with the current situation.
“Secretaries have been directed to undertake a comprehensive review of their respective ministry’s operations and to ensure fool-proof functioning of essential systems, with special focus on readiness, emergency response, and internal communication protocols,” an official said.
Secretaries detailed their planning with a ‘Whole of Government’ approach in the current situation. All ministries have also identified their actionables in relation to the conflict and are strengthening processes. Ministries are ready to deal with all kinds of emerging situations, it was announced by the secretaries.
“A range of issues were discussed during the meeting. These included, among others, strengthening of civil defence mechanisms, efforts to counter misinformation and fake news, and ensuring the security of critical infrastructure. Ministries were also advised to maintain close coordination with state authorities and ground-level institutions,” the official added.
The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, and Secretaries from key ministries including Defence, Home Affairs, External Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Power, Health, and Telecommunications.
Modi called for continued alertness, institutional synergy, and clear communication as the nation navigates a sensitive period. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to national security, operational preparedness, and citizen safety.
