Civil Defence Exercise "Operation Shield" which was planned to be held on Thursday, 29 May, in states bordering Pakistan has been postponed due to administrative reasons in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Jammu and Haryana, as per reports.
Officials cited "administrative reasons" behind the decision to postpone the mock drills in the bordering states.
ANI quoted official sources of Haryana government as saying that "Civil Defence Exercise Operation Shield, which was planned to be held tomorrow, 29th May 2025 postponed in Haryana."
What is Civil Defence Exercise "Operation Shield" mock drill?
Earlier, the government had announced its decision to carry out a civil defence exercise or a mock drill on Thursday in all districts of states and Union territories adjoining the western border — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat — on how to face air raids from enemy aircraft, drones, missile attacks among others.
PTI reported that in a communication, the Directorate General of Fire Service and Home Guards had reportedly conveyed that the civil defence exercise "Operation Shield" will be carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh.
As part of he plan, the civil defence authorities had requested states and Union Territories to plan and organise the exercise at 1700 hours onwards on Thursday by involving all local administration and stakeholders, sources said.
"Stakeholders from local administration and youth volunteers like NCC, NSS, NYKS, Bharat Scouts & Guides, to man different services and assist the civil administration in the implementation of various civil defence measures like air raids from enemy aircraft, drones and missile attacks," the communication said.
The first civil defence exercise had been conducted across the country on May 7, hours ahead of Operation Sindoor.
The Directorate, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said during the first civil defence exercise held on May 7, critical gaps in the civil defence preparedness of the vulnerable areas of the country were observed. After the May 7 mock drill, emergency powers had been invoked and funding arrangements through the State Disaster Response Force were also made.
During the second civil defence exercise, the "contingencies envisaged to be practised include general/silent recall of civil defence wardens/volunteers".
India had launched Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalagam in which 26 people were killed. Through Operation Sindoor, India Armed Forces targeted terror camps at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7.
Later, some Pakistani military bases were also targeted by India in retaliatory action during four days of skirmishes with the neighbouring country between May 7 and 10.
Pakistani forces resorted to heavy shelling along the border and LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and also tried to attack some other places along the International Border in the western sector with drones and missiles.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with effect from 5 pm on May 10.
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