Keep cash, torch, medical kits handy: What will May 7 mock drill look like? How to be prepared & more

Amid heightened and rising tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbouring countries, India will conduct a series of mock drills across 259 locations on May 7. Coming just days after a dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam and in the wake of Pakistan’s recent missile tests under “Exercise INDUS,” the mock drills are a clear indication to reinforce internal readiness for worst-case scenarios, including airstrikes or full-scale warfare. 

An official in the Union home ministry cited the reasons for conducting the mock drills across the country, including to train civilians, students, and others in civil defence techniques for protection during a hostile attack. The county will also check the readiness of control rooms and shadow control centres. 

Sources in the ministry of home affairs said that the mock drills will be conducted in 244 categorised civil defence districts on Wednesday. “Such civil defence drills keep taking place in districts on a regular basis. But this time we are conducting across the country,” an official said. 

The decision to hold mock drills for effective civil defence has been taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 Indian tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Full list of locations where mock drill will take place

States/UT: Andaman and Nicobar Island

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Port Blair

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Andhra Pradesh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Arunachal Pradesh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Alog (west Siang), Itanagar, Tawang, Hayuling

Category 3: Bomdila

States/UT: Assam

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Goalpara, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Tinsukia, Tezpur, Digboi, Diliajan, Guwahati (Dispur), Rangia, Namrup, Nazira, North Laskshimpur, Numaligarh

Category 3: Darrang, Golaghat, Karbi-anglong, Kokrajhar

States/UT: Bihar

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Barauni, Katihar, Patna, Purnea

Category 3: Begusarai

States/UT: Chandigarh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Chandigarh

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Chhattisgarh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Durg (Bhilai)

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Dadar Nagar Haveli

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Dadar (Silvasa)

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Daman and Diu

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Daman

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Delhi

Category 1: Delhi (including new Delhi and Delhi cantonment)

Category 2: NA

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Goa

Category 1: NA

Category 2: North goa (Panaji), South Goa (Marmagoa with Vasco Dabolim and Harbour)

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Gujarat

Category 1: Surat, Vadodara, Kakrapar

Category 2: Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Kandla, Nalia, Ankeleswar, Okha, Vadinar

Category 3: Bharuch, Dangs, Kutch, Mehsana, Narmada, Navsari

States/UT: Haryana

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Ambala, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Hissar, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonepat, Yamuna Nagar

Category 3: Jhajjar

States/UT: Himachal Pradesh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Shimla

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Jammu and Kashmir

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Anantnag, Badgam, Baramula, Doda, Jammu, Kargil, Kathua, Kupwara, Leh, Poonch, Rajauri, Srinagar, Udhampur, Samba, Akhnoor, Uri, Naushera, Sunderbani, Awantipur

Category 3: Pulwama

States/UT: Jharkhand

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Bokaro, Gomio, Jamshedpur, Ranchi

Category 3: Godda, Sahebganj

States/UT: Karnataka

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Bengaluru (urban), Malleshwar, Raichur

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Kerala

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Cochin( Kochi), Tiruvananthapuram

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Lakshadweep

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Lakshadweep (Kavarati)

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Madhya Pradesh

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Katni

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Maharashtra

Category 1: Mumbai, Uran, Tarapur

Category 2: Thane, Pune, Nasik, Rohan-Dhato- Nagothane, Monmad, Sinner, Thal Vayshot, Pimpri Chinchwad

Category 3: Aurangabad, Bhusawal, Raigarh, Ratnagiri, Sindudurg

States/UT: Manipur

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Imphal, churachandpur, ukhrul, Moreh, Ningthou-Khong

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Meghalaya

Category 1: NA

Category 2: East Khasi hill (Shillong), Jaintia hill (jawai), west Garo hill (Tura)

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Mizoram

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Aizawal

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Nagaland

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Mon, Phek, Tuensang, wokha , Zunheboto , Kephir, Perren

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Odisha

Category 1: Talcher

Category 2: Balasore, Koraput, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, Hirakund, Paradip, Rourkela

Category 3: Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara

States/UT: Puducherry

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Puducherry

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Punjab

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Amritsar, Bhatinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot, Adhampur, Barnala, Bhakra- Nangal, Halwara, Kothkapur, Batala, Mohali (Sasnagar), Abohar

Category 3: Faridpur, Ropar, Sangrur

States/UT: Rajasthan

Category 1: Kota, Rawat-Bhata,

Category 2: Ajmer, Alwar, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Sikar, Nal, Suratgarh, Abu Road, Nasirabad (Ajmer), Bhivari

Category 3: Phulera( Jaipur), Nagaur (Merta Road), Jalore, Bewar (Ajmer), Lalgarh (Ganaganagar), swai Madhopur, Bhilwara, Pali

States/UT: Sikkim

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Gangtok

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Tamil Nadu

Category 1: Chennai, Kalpakkam

Category 2: NA

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Tripura

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Agartala

Category 3: NA

States/UT: Uttar Pradesh

Category 1: Bulandshehar (Narora)

Category 2: Agra, Allahabad, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Sharanpur, Varanasi, Bakshi-ka-Talab Mughalsarai, Sarsawa,

Category 3: Bagpat, Muzzafar Nagar

States/UT: Uttarakhand

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Dehradun

Category 3: NA

States/UT: West Bengal

Category 1: NA

Category 2: Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Jalpaniguri, Mala, Siliguri, Greater Kolkata, Durgapur, Haldia, Hashimara, Kharagpur, Burnpur- Asansol, Farakka-Khejuriaghat, Chittaranjan, Balurghat, Ali purwar, Raiganj, Islampur, Dinhata, Makhili ganj, Mathabhanga, Kalimpong, jaldhaka, Kurseong, Kolaghat,

Category 3: Bardhaman, Birbhum, East Midnapur, West Madinapur, Hawrah, Hooghly, Murshidabad

Notably, states such as Delhi, West Bengal, and Punjab have a strong presence of active civil defence volunteers regularly engaged in civic duties, including traffic and crowd management. India's civil defence system operates primarily on a voluntary basis, supported by a small core of paid personnel, and is scaled up during emergencies.

Why does this matter? 

Amid rapid evolving geopolitical tensions between two nations, India has been emphasising the need for “optimum Civil Defence preparedness.” 

The notification explicitly references the evolving nature of national security risks, stating that states must remain ready to handle emergencies like air raids, internal disruptions, or full-scale attacks. 

An official said that this is the most expansive civilian defence mobilisation effort since the Cold War era, signaling a shift in India’s internal security posture. 

What will the drill involve? 

The mock drill will unfold across multiple levels, from districts to village clusters, and will simulate scenarios like air strikes, mass evacuations, and communication blackouts. Local administrations are expected to conduct these drills with public and institutional participation. 

Key participants will include Civil Defence wardens, Home Guard volunteers (active and reservists), members of the NCC, NSS, NYKS, and students from schools and colleges. 

Key measures to be tested

Air Raid Siren Activation: Designated towns will test their air raid warning systems to alert civilians in case of an aerial attack. This is aimed at ensuring that alert infrastructure is functional and can trigger swift public sheltering.

Civilian Training: Workshops and drills in schools and public institutions will focus on how civilians can react during a hostile event, covering everything from basic first aid to emergency evacuation steps. 

Blackout Protocols: Cities and installations will undergo blackout exercises to test their ability to "go dark" in minutes. This includes turning off all lights and electronic signals to avoid detection by enemy reconnaissance. 

Camouflage Exercises: Strategic installations, such as power stations, defence infrastructure, and communication hubs, will be camouflaged to assess how quickly and effectively such assets can be concealed from enemy targeting. 

Evacuation Drills: Dry runs of evacuation plans will be held to identify flaws in existing procedures and to ensure smooth movement of people from high-risk zones to safer areas. 

Key Implications: 

Public Awareness: The involvement of educational institutions and public agencies helps normalize preparedness as a civic responsibility.

Inter-Agency Coordination: The drills will reveal how well local and central authorities can communicate and act in concert during emergencies. 

Strategic Messaging: Holding such a large-scale drill just after a high-casualty terror attack and missile tests sends a calculated message to both domestic and foreign audience.

‘KEEP TORCHES, CANDLES, CASH READY’ 

The meeting underway at the Home Ministry is reviewing the condition of 244 civil defence installations across the country, sources said. The assessment focusses on whether existing apparatus is functional or in need of repair.

The meeting is also evaluating how to train civilians for emergency scenarios. Key focus areas include public response to air raid sirens, actions to take during blackouts, and the readiness of essential supplies.

Officials are stressing the need for households to keep medical kits, torches, candles, and cash to prepare for potential electronic failures.

Notably, over 100 of the 244 locations have been identified as highly sensitive.