In recent weeks, several Indian states have conducted mock drills in a similar manner to those carried out last year ahead of the India-Pakistan war. From Bihar to Assam to Delhi, authorities are preparing citizens and testing the system readiness for a war-like situation. Last year on May 7, civil defence mock drills were conducted in coordination with police at the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3. The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed several states to conduct such exercises to strengthen emergency preparedness. Following Operation Sindoor, local administrations also carried out similar drills under the banner of “Operation Shield” across multiple states and Union Territories sharing borders with Pakistan.
Bihar Mock Drills
At the orders of the Central government, a 15-minute civil defence mock drill was conducted in six districts of Bihar on Thursday evening. As soon as sirens sounded at 7:00 PM, power supply was immediately cut off, and residents were strictly instructed not to switch on any lights. The blackout exercise continued till 7:15 PM and was observed across homes, shops, and offices. Along with the state capital Patna, the drill was conducted in Purnia, Begusarai, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria.
Authorities described it as a coordinated preparedness exercise.
‘Pre-Planned Exercise’: Public Urged to Stay Calm
According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, the district administration urged citizens to remain calm and avoid spreading or believing rumours. Officials clarified that the blackout was a pre-planned exercise carried out under government orders to test system readiness during a simulated air strike scenario.
Authorities further said that there was no real threat. They also confirmed that the control room remained fully operational throughout the duration of the drill.
Assam Mock Drill
Like Bihar, Assam also conducted mock drills this week. In Jorhat, brief panic gripped the Nehru Park Chariali area after sudden sirens went off and sounds resembling explosions were heard during a large-scale mock drill conducted last night.
The exercise was jointly organised by the Indian Air Force and the Civil Defence Department. It was designed to simulate emergency conditions arising from a wartime aerial attack and assess preparedness as well as coordination among emergency response agencies in the event of an air strike.
During the drill, emergency sirens were activated and rescue operations were demonstrated in front of the public. Medical teams, fire services, emergency responders and rescue personnel participated in the simulation.
Officials said the objective of the exercise was to raise public awareness and train agencies to respond quickly and effectively during war-like emergencies. The drill also focused on inter-departmental coordination to minimise casualties and ensure rapid rescue operations in case of a real threat.
Nationwide Civil Defence Preparedness Exercises
The Directorate of Civil Defence under the Delhi government last month conducted a large-scale civil defence mock exercise across all 13 districts to test the capital’s preparedness for hostile attack scenarios.
The exercise was carried out simultaneously at 17 locations, including hospitals, schools, residential complexes, government offices, and public spaces. It included simulated air raid warnings, blackout procedures, evacuations, search and rescue operations, firefighting drills, first aid response, and emergency systems activation.
Haryana Conducts State-Level Disaster Preparedness Drill Across 13 Districts
The Haryana government on Thursday conducted a state-level mock drill across 13 flood-prone districts to strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency response systems ahead of the monsoon season.
Financial Commissioner, Revenue (FCR), Sumita Misra said the exercise was aimed at drawing lessons from the floods of 2023 and 2025 and improving the state’s disaster management preparedness.
She added that the exercise, which she monitored from the state control room, was conducted in Gurugram, Ambala, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Panipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Sonepat and Yamunanagar—districts identified as high flood-risk zones. Two separate simulation sites were set up in each district to test response mechanisms under realistic flood scenarios.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
