India to hold mock drills in states bordering Pakistan tomorrow

Jaipur: Amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, mock drills will be conducted on Thursday in the border states of Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Punjab, officials said on Wednesday.
These drills in the states bordering Pakistan will be held following directives from the Union government, as these areas came under heavy attack from across the border during the recent conflict between the two nations.
Sirens will be sounded during the drills, and emergency preparedness systems will be closely examined.
The Civil Defence department in Rajasthan has already initiated preparations and is issuing instructions to all districts.
Special emphasis is being placed on the districts located along the India-Pakistan border, where enhanced measures are underway.
Jodhpur District Collector Gaurav Agarwal confirmed that a mock drill will be held in Jodhpur on Thursday, although the exact timing is yet to be finalised.
Barmer Collector Tina Dabi added, 'We have received instructions regarding the mock drill scheduled for tomorrow. A meeting will be held to plan its implementation.'
This comes after a similar exercise was conducted on May 7 in 28 cities across Rajasthan, aimed at preparing for potential air strikes.
The increased focus on emergency preparedness came after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 when, in response, the Indian defence forces launched 'Operation Sindoor', targeting nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan in which over 100 terrorists were neutralised.
The operation has led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
A mock drill is a simulation exercise designed to assess how the public and administration would respond in the event of an emergency, such as an air strike or bomb attack.
The primary objective of the mock drills is to evaluate the operationality of control rooms and air raid warning systems. It also assesses the effectiveness of civil defence services.
A blackout exercise involves switching off all lights in a designated area for a set period.
This tactic is used to make it more difficult for the enemy to locate and target key areas during an attack, thereby enhancing the region's security under cover of darkness.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Hindu

12 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Anti-Naxal campaigns to continue in monsoon: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said that for the first time, ant-Naxal operations would continue during the monsoon even as he reiterated his appeal that Naxals lay down arms and join the mainstream. 'Every time during the rainy season, Naxalites used to get rest, but this time, we will not let them sleep during monsoon and we will move further to achieve the target of 31/3 [2026, to eliminate Naxalism],' Mr. Shah said laying the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Lab in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. Even as security forces were mounting an aggressive campaign against Left Wing Extremism with sustained operations in the jungles of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the rainy season was considered dormant from the point of view of combat because sustained rainfall and floods hamper any action inside dense forests. The Home Minister added that all those who laid down their arms and joined the mainstream were welcome and lauded the surrender policy of the State government led by Vishnu Deo Sai. 'Lay down arms and join the journey of development; no need for talks. Just give up armed struggle and join the mainstream,' Mr. Shah said, even as he reiterated the March 2026 deadline for the elimination of Naxalism in the country. 'A historic day' Virtually inaugurating the temporary campus of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and the I-Hub Raipur, both situated in Nava Raipur, Mr. Shah called the occasion a historic day in the journey to modernise and scientifically strengthen the criminal justice system of Chhattisgarh. Alongside the temporary campus of NFSU, the ground-breaking ceremony for the permanent campus and the foundation of a Central Forensic Science Laboratory were also initiated. These institutions are being developed at a total cost of ₹268 crore. Academic sessions at the temporary campus will commence from 2025–26, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Forensic Science, Cybersecurity, Psychology, Digital Forensics, and various professional diploma courses. Approximately 180 students are expected to be enrolled in the first batch. Later in the evening, Mr. Shah chaired a review meeting on Naxalism in Raipur with the top police and administrative officials of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

Hindustan Times

16 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Shah chairs key security meetings on Naxalism, interacts with kin of cop killed in IED blast

Raipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday chaired two crucial meetings in Raipur on Naxalism and met the family members of a police officer killed in an IED blast, officials said. Shah chairs key security meetings on Naxalism, interacts with kin of cop killed in IED blast He asserted that the country would be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026, an official statement said. Shah first chaired an Inter-State Security Coordination Meeting on Naxalism with Director Generals of Police and Additional DGPs and senior officials from seven states – Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The second was a review meeting on the Left Wing Extremism situation in Chhattisgarh, the statement said. Reiterating that there would be no let-up in the momentum achieved by security forces, Shah said anti-Naxal operations would continue even during the rains. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, and several other senior officials of Central Armed Police Forces attended the meeting at a hotel in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. Shah lauded the Sai government for giving a new momentum to a 'previously stalled' anti-Naxal campaign and guiding it, besides boosting the morale of security forces, it said. Deputy CM Sharma later told mediapersons that the Union minister reviewed all issues and shared insights about carrying forward the campaign during monsoon. Shah also met the family members of Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje, who died when an IED planted by Maoists exploded in Sukma district on June 9, and assured them of all possible assistance, he said. When asked about Shah's scheduled visit to a camp of the Border Security Force in Narayanpur district of Bastar region on Monday, Sharma said, 'Due to tomorrow's rain forecast, the tour is unlikely to take place.' A team of commanders of security forces has been called in Raipur. 'Shah ji is likely to meet them in Raipur,' he said. Earlier in the day, Shah laid the foundation stones for the National Forensic Science University campus and a Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. He also virtually inaugurated the transit campus of NFSU in Raipur. Shah said Naxalites won't get respite during monsoon as operations against them will continue during rains, even as he ruled out talks and appealed to the ultras to lay down arms and join the journey of development. Since January last year, more than 400 Maoist ultras have been gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in the state, the most notable being the killing of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju , the general secretary and topmost operative of the outlawed Communist Party of India , in Bastar on May 21. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Mint

16 minutes ago

• Mint

Operation Sindhu: India's special flight brings back 280 more Indians from Iran; govt commits to help Nepal, Sri Lanka

With the tensions escalating in the Middle East following the conflict between Israel and Iran, a special flight under Operation Sindhu brought back over 280 Indian nationals on Sunday. According to the details, the Mahan Air flight (W50071A), carrying mostly students and pilgrims, landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. Over 200 students from Jammu and Kashmir were among the passengers, while others were pilgrims who had travelled to Iran for Ziarat. After the passengers stepped off the aircraft, many of them held Indian flags and expressed relief and gratitude for the safe return. Earlier on Wednesday, India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its citizens from Iran amid the rising tensions between Tehran and Israel. Also on Friday, two Mahan Air flights carrying 1,000 Indian students, including 500 Kashmiris, from Iran's Mashhad landed in Delhi. A third flight also landed on Saturday. In a diplomatic outreach to its neighbours, the Indian Embassy in Iran on Saturday stated that it will help evacuating the Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals from Iran. After both nations requested India's help in evacuating their citizens, the Indian Embassy agreed to assist Nepal and Sri Lanka. The embassy also released emergency helpline numbers for Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals stuck in Iran. 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,' Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X. It added, 'The citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka may urgently reach out to the Embassy, either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers. +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109' These strikes were targeted at uranium enrichment plants at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Confirming the attacks chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, US Gen Dan Caine, briefed the press stating Operation Midnight Hammer involved 125 US military aircraft including seven B-2 stealth bombers. Following the US strikes, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calls the US attack on their uclear sites 'unforgivable' and said Iran has 'to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defence'.