Source : INDIATV NEWS
The civil defence exercise under “Operation Shield”, which was scheduled for May 29, has been postponed in Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The nationwide civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’, scheduled for Thursday (May 29) across several border states and Union Territories, has been postponed due to administrative reasons. The mock drills were scheduled to be held in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chandigarh.
It is pertinent to mention that these states witnessed intense clashes between India and Pakistan over three consecutive nights following Operation Sindoor. Previously, on May 7, mock drills were conducted hours ahead of Operation Sindoor, across the country.
India had struck nine terror bases in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the intervening night of May 6-7, just hours before a planned nationwide mock drill exercise. The operation targeted terrorists’ hubs but Pakistan responded by targeting civilian areas and holy sites in India.
Why were mock drills postponed?
According to an official communication, the mock drills were postponed due to administrative reasons, and a new date will be announced soon, reported PTI.
The Haryana government on Wednesday evening said the civil defence exercise – Operation Shield – scheduled for Thursday stood postponed following the Union Home Ministry’s directions. “According to the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Haryana Home Department announced the postponement of the comprehensive civil defence exercise, Operation Shield, which was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday,” an official statement said.
The Chandigarh administration also announced the postponement of the civil defence exercise. A statement issued by the UT administration on Wednesday evening said, “As per the directions received from the Government of India, it is hereby informed that the civil defence exercise Operation Shield, which was planned for May 29, is hereby postponed due to administrative reasons. There will be no blackout or mock drill.”
What was civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’?
States including Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, officially announced the postponement of the mock drills late Wednesday evening. According to officials, the decision was taken due to “administrative reasons,” though no further details were immediately provided.
The nationwide mock drill, named “Operation Shield”, was planned under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to assess readiness in responding to wartime emergencies such as air raids, drone attacks, and other hostile scenarios. The drill comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, India’s recent targeted strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. Sources told news agency PTI that the civil defence authorities requested the states and UTs to plan and organise the exercise at 1700 hours onwards on Thursday. They asked to have all local administration and stakeholders involved.
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