( by our correspondent)
New Delhi: India is scheduled to conduct comprehensive defense preparedness exercises across four strategic states and union territories bordering Pakistan tomorrow. The mock exercises will take place in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, focusing specifically on districts that share boundaries with Pakistan.
These emergency preparedness drills follow several weeks after India executed Operation Sindoor during the early hours of May 6-7, targeting terrorist infrastructure and their supporters in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The military operation prompted retaliatory strikes from Pakistan against Indian military installations and urban centers, leading India to respond with coordinated attacks on at least eight Pakistani airbases and additional military installations, including air defense systems and radar facilities. Following the intense military exchanges, Pakistan sought a ceasefire on May 10, which India accepted.
The upcoming mock exercises were initially scheduled for May 7 across 244 districts in border states and union territories. Officials outlined several key objectives for these preparedness drills: activating air raid warning systems, educating civilians and students on civil defense protocols for protection during hostile attacks, evaluating blackout procedures, ensuring rapid camouflage of critical infrastructure and installations, and reviewing and practicing evacuation strategies.
Government sources emphasized that these exercises represent an initiative to familiarize the present generation with wartime standard operating procedures and protective measures. Officials clarified that while there is no immediate cause for alarm, the gravity of current security conditions necessitates public education on these protocols and defensive measures.
The comprehensive nature of these drills reflects India’s commitment to maintaining readiness along its western border, particularly in light of recent cross-border tensions and the need to ensure civilian preparedness in border regions.