In a boost to Civil Defence amid tensions with Pakistan, MHA to organise rehearsal across 244 categorised districts on May 7

New Delhi: In a boost to civil defence preparations amid tensions with Pakistan, the Union Home Ministry has decided to organise Civil Defence Exercise and Rehearsal across 244 categorised districts on May 7.

According to a letter written to Chief Secretaries, the Union Home Ministry said the exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms across states and Union Territories.

The exercise is planned up to the village level.

“Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to organise Civil Defence Exercise and Rehearsal across 244 categorised Civil Defence Districts of the country on May 7, 2025,” the letter said.

The primary objectives of the mock drill include assessing the effectiveness of air raid warning systems, operationalisation of hotline, radio communication links with IAF, testing functionality of control rooms and shadow rooms, training of civilians including students on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of hostile attack and provision of crash blackout measures.

The objectives also include the provision of early camouflaging of vital installations, to verify the activation and response of Civil Defence Services including warden services, firefighting, rescue operations and depot management, assessing the implementation of crash blackout measures and evaluating the preparedness of evacuation plans and their execution.

The Home Ministry had on May 2 written to Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs about civil defence preparedness in the vulnerable areas and districts.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had in January written to Chief Secretaries, urging them to personally look into and review civil defence set up in their states.

The Home Secretary had said that Civil Defence is an integral part of nation’s passive defence strategy.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during their address at the ‘Chintan Shivir’, held at Surajkund, Haryana, in October 2022, had emphasized the importance of the Civil Defence preparedness in the country, especially in bordering and coastal areas.

Bhalla had said over a period of time, MHA has identifled a total of 295 vulnerable towns/districts of the country, where Civil Defence measures needs to be implemented during the peace time.

“In the recent Civil Defence review Committee meeting taken by me, it has been observed that Civil Defence preparation in the vulnerable areas/districts require more attention and improvement,” the letter had said.

“I shall be grateful if you could personally look into and review the Civil Defence set up in your State as envisaged in the Union War Book and direct the concerned officers to comprehensively review the CD Plans and implement the required CD measures so as to effectively deal with any emergency situation,” it added.

Tensions have risen with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
The government has said that the perpetrators will be given severe punishment.