Kolkata, Howrah & 29 other districts in Bengal to conduct mock drills tomorrow | See List

India will conduct a nationwide civil defense drill on May 7, covering 244 districts across 21 states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. This drill is the first of its kind since 1971, aimed at improving national preparedness for hostile attacks. The exercise is designed to test various civil defense measures, including the operationalization of air raid warning sirens, crash blackout procedures, evacuation planning, and civil defense training for civilians. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has emphasized that the drill is not a signal of imminent conflict but a long-standing part of India’s civil defense strategy.

The drills will be conducted in three categories based on the threat perception of each region. Category I includes 13 critical towns, Category II comprises 201 towns, and Category III has 45 towns. Officials stress the importance of public participation, including students, to ensure broad awareness and readiness. Local administrations, police, civil defense volunteers, and disaster response teams will work in coordination during the exercise. These drills follow the updated civil defense rules and are intended to address modern threats while reinforcing national security infrastructure.

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