In the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed all states and Union Territories to conduct a comprehensive nationwide mock drill on Wednesday, May 7. The exercise, aimed at strengthening civil defence preparedness, comes in response to “new and complex threats” amid escalating tensions.
According to the directive, a total of 259 districts across the country have been identified to participate in the drill. The key components of the mock exercise include operationalising air-raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil defence, checking communication systems, and ensuring readiness of bunkers and trenches. Authorities will also simulate blackout and camouflage procedures at critical installations.
Key Objectives of the May 7 Mock Drill:
- Assess the functionality of air raid warning systems
- Verify communication links, including hotlines and radio, with the Indian Air Force
- Test control rooms and backup ‘shadow rooms’ for coordination
- Conduct civil defence training sessions for civilians, including students
- Enforce crash blackout measures in designated areas
- Implement early camouflage techniques for key infrastructure
- Check readiness and response of Civil Defence Services—including wardens, firefighting, rescue teams, and depot managers
- Evaluate the effectiveness of evacuation plans
The MHA has emphasized that the exercise is critical for enhancing local and regional preparedness to deal with any hostile attacks, including aerial threats.
Full List of Participating Districts:
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (1)
- Port Blair
Andhra Pradesh (1)
- Visakhapatnam
Assam (15)
- Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Goalpara, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Kamrup Urban, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Kokrajhar, Kamrup
Arunachal Pradesh (5)
- Papumpare, Tawang, West Siang, Anjaw, West Kameng
Bihar (5)
- Katihar, Patna, Purnea, Barauni, Begusarai
Chandigarh (UT) (1)
- Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu (2)
- Silvassa (Dadra), Daman
Chhattisgarh (1)
- Durg
Delhi (UT) (1)
- Delhi
Goa (2)
- North Goa, South Goa
Gujarat (13)
- Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Kutchh, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Dangs
Haryana (11)
- Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Kutchh, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Dangs
Himachal Pradesh (1)
- Shimla
Jammu and Kashmir (13)
- Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Doda, Jammu, Kathua, Kupwpara, Poonch, Rajouri, Srinagar, Udhampur, Samba, Pulwama
Jharkhand (6)
- Ranchi, Bokaro, East Singhbhum, Godda, Sahebganj, Gomio
Karnataka (3)
- Bengaluru, Uttara Kannada, Raichur
Kerala (14)
- Thiruvananthapuram,Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Pathanmthitta, Alpuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malapurram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasargode
Lakshadweep (1)
- Kavarati
Madhya Pradesh (5)
- Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Katni
Maharashtra (10)
- Mumbai, Raigad, Palghar, Thane, Nashik, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurga, Aurangabad, Bhusawal
Manipur (5)
- Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, Imphal
Meghalaya (7)
- east Khasi Hiils, West Garo Hills, West Jainta Hills, West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, Est Garo Hills, South Garo Hills
Mizoram (1)
- Aizawl
Nagaland (10)
- Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Phek, Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Peren
Odisha (12)
- Talchar, Khorda, Rourkela, Koraput, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Denkanal, Kendrapada, Ganjam, Sambalpur, Puri
Punjab (15)
- Jalandhar, Amritsar, Barnala, Bhatinda, Firozpur, Faridkot, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Pathankot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur
Puducherry (1)
Rajasthan (32)
Sikkim (1)
Tamil Nadu (2)
- Chennai, Kalpakkam
Telangana (1)
- Hyderabad
Tripura (8)
- West Tripura, North Tripura, Unakoti, Dhalai, Khowai, Sepahijala, Gomti, South Tripura
Tamil Nadu (2)
- Chennai, Kalpakkam
Uttar Pradesh (17)
Uttarakhand (1)
- Dehradun
West Bengal (17)
- Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Alipurduar, Paschim Medinipur, Murshidabad, Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur, Kalimpong, Kolkata, Bardhaman, Birbhum, Howrah, Hooghly
Ladakh (2)
- Leh, Kargil
The government has clarified that this is a preparedness exercise and not a response to any immediate threat, urging the public to remain calm and cooperate fully with authorities during the drill.
The outcome of the drill will help authorities identify gaps in preparedness and strengthen response mechanisms at all levels of governance.
