The civil defence exercise “Operation Shield”, which was scheduled for May 29, 2025, has been postponed in Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh due to administrative reasons. There will be no blackout or mock drills in these regions on the planned date.
The nationwide civil defence exercise “Operation Shield”, scheduled for May 29, has been postponed in Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chandigarh due to administrative reasons. State governments issued official notices on Wednesday confirming the deferment and informing civil defence authorities to stand down.
The Haryana government clarified that there will be no blackout or mock drill on Thursday. “As per directions from the Government of India, the Civil Defence Exercise ‘Operation Shield’, scheduled for 29.05.2025, stands postponed due to administrative reasons. Inconvenience is regretted,” the state said in a statement.
Similarly, the home departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat issued circulars informing all stakeholders that the drill has been deferred and that revised dates will be communicated later.
Operation Shield planned in wake of heightened security concerns
The nationwide mock drill, named “Operation Shield”, is being conducted 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.
Earlier this month, a similar nationwide civil defence initiative, Operation Abhyaas, was conducted across various states and Union Territories, marking the first such coordinated preparedness drive since the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
At the time, the Ministry of Home Affairs had instructed 244 districts across the country to conduct civil defence exercises that included blackout drills, air raid sirens, evacuation protocols, and public awareness sessions. These were aimed at preparing civilians for emergency scenarios resembling wartime conditions.
The Directorate of Civil Defence, under the Home Ministry, later reported that significant gaps had been identified in the emergency preparedness of vulnerable areas. It issued directions on May 9 to take corrective measures to address these shortcomings, according to news agency PTI.
