India To Conduct ‘Operation Shield’ Drills In Border States To Strengthen Civil Defence

In a decisive move to boost civil defence capabilities, India will conduct nationwide mock drills under the banner of ‘Operation Shield’ on Saturday, 31 May.

Key states and Union Territories bordering Pakistan- Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Chandigarh will hold the drills from 5:00 PM.

Authorities postponed the original 29 May schedule due to administrative reasons.

A government press release confirmed the revised date and reiterated the strategic importance of the exercise in evaluating national preparedness.

The operation will concentrate on regions adjacent to the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB), areas deemed most vulnerable to cross-border threats.

Authorities will execute simulated scenarios including air raid sirens, total blackouts (excluding critical services), and emergency response actions.

Punjab, one of the most sensitive states, will see enforced blackouts in designated civilian zones.

Sirens will be sounded to initiate the drill, prompting coordinated responses from civil defence units, emergency services, and the public.

Real-Time Scenario Testing

‘Operation Shield’ simulates real-time threats to assess how effectively authorities and civilians respond under pressure.

The simulation will test systems for managing air raids, implementing blackout protocols, and executing emergency evacuations.

Officials confirmed that the exercise follows up on a previous nationwide drill held on 7 May, during which operational gaps were identified.

Saturday’s drills will serve to address those shortcomings and focus on zones with higher risk profiles.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the drills not only aim at evaluating governmental response mechanisms but also seek to heighten public awareness and resilience.

By involving local populations in these simulations, authorities expect a better-informed and better-prepared civilian front in the event of a real emergency.

Inter-agency coordination, especially among police, health, civil defence, and local administration, forms a core component of the drill.

Officials expect significant improvements in synchronised responses during the simulation exercises.

‘Operation Shield’ reflects the central government’s commitment to enhancing national security infrastructure and civil defence protocols.

Amid evolving regional threats, authorities view such mock drills as critical for ensuring rapid, effective responses to both man-made and natural disasters.

They expect the success of these drills to lead to more regular and targeted exercises in India’s border areas.

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