Operation Shield: Civil defence mock drills postponed in states bordering Pakistan due to ‘administrative causes’ | India News

NEW DELHI: Civil defence mock drills scheduled on Thursday in the states bordering Pakistan had been postponed by the authorities citing “administrative reasons.”This comes hours after mock drills beneath the title of Operation Shield had been scheduled for states together with Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is hereby intimated that the civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’, which was planned to be held on 29.05.2025, is hereby postponed due to administrative reasons,” Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan data departments mentioned in a round.“It is requested that necessary directions to all the controllers of civil defence and other stakeholders may be issued accordingly. Next dates for the exercise shall be issued subsequently,” it added.Meanwhile, the Punjab authorities wrote to the Centre, proposing June 3 because the date for finishing up a civil defence train, citing that their civil defence employees had been present process a coaching being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).A senior Punjab police officer mentioned that the Centre accepted the state authorities’s request for holding the drill on June 3.The Government of India determined to perform a civil defence train 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 plane, drones, missile assaults, amongst others.In a communication earlier, the Directorate General of Fire Services and Home Guards conveyed that the civil defence train ‘Operation Shield’ will probably be carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh.The drill was supposed to take a look at emergency response coordination, civilian evacuation protocols, and inter-agency communication in case of cross-border hostilities or terrorist incidents.This comes weeks after India launched Operation Sindoor on the evening of May 6–7, a retaliatory strike reportedly concentrating on terror camps and navy infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).The operation was a response to the phobia assault in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. India’s counter-attack prompted Pakistan to launch its strikes on Indian navy websites and concrete areas. In response, India hit a minimum of 9 Pakistani air bases, together with radar and air defence items. After a number of days of high-intensity motion, Pakistan requested a ceasefire, which India accepted on May 10.