Union Home Secretary has reviewed Civil Defence Readiness amid Indo-Pak tensions; Mock Drills have been planned in 244 high-risk districts.
New Delhi – Against the backdrop of rising tensions with Pakistan, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Sikkim cadre, is set to chair a high-level meeting on Tuesday to assess the country’s civil defence preparedness. The review follows the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, and forms part of a broader effort to strengthen internal security.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all states and Union Territories to conduct large-scale mock drills on May 7, 2025, in 244 Civil Defence Districts classified based on their sensitivity to wartime threats. These districts fall into three categories, with Category-1 representing the highest level of risk.
The upcoming drills aim to simulate emergency responses to hostile scenarios, including air raids, and to boost civilian awareness and readiness. Activities will include testing air-raid sirens, training citizens in protective measures, clearing and inspecting bunkers and trenches, and camouflaging critical infrastructure.
Evacuation rehearsals will also be carried out, ensuring that both civil defence teams and the public are equipped to respond swiftly in the event of an attack. Communication protocols will be a key focus, particularly the coordination between ground units and the Indian Air Force through hotlines, radio channels, and backup control rooms.
The initiative follows recent blackout drills in Punjab’s Ferozepur Cantonment, where power was cut for 30 minutes to simulate emergency conditions. Similar survival training sessions will now be extended nationwide as part of a broader civil defence strategy.
