Context and Background
- Triggering Event: Directive follows the Pahalgam attack, intensifying India-Pakistan tensions.
- Historical Linkage: Similar civil defence measures were prominent during the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, involving blackouts and evacuation drills.
- Strategic Objective: To strengthen passive defence preparedness under growing threats of hybrid and cross-border warfare.
Relevance : GS 3(Internal Security)
Directive Details
- Issued by: Union Ministry of Home Affairs via Directorate General of Civil Defence (DGCD).
- Coverage: Drills to be held up to village level in 244 identified districts.
- Schedule: Nationwide exercises from Wednesday to Friday.
Components of the Drill
- Air-raid sirens, blackout protocols, and evacuation drills.
- Camouflaging of vital infrastructure (power plants, military depots).
- Hotlines with the Indian Air Force for rapid response.
- Control rooms and bunker maintenance to be reactivated.
Civil Participation and Local Preparedness
- Approx. 4 lakh volunteers from Civil Defence to be engaged.
- Backward Linkages:
- Community-based Disaster Management (CBDM) model used in disaster-prone areas (e.g., Odisha cyclones).
- Integration with NDMA frameworks under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- Draws from past training models used in border areas during Kargil conflict (1999).
Strategic and Policy Perspective
- Civil defence cited as “integral to passive defence strategy”.
- Emphasis on non-combatant preparedness amid non-linear threats like drone warfare, cyberattacks, and state-sponsored terrorism.
- Reinforces Centre-State coordination under Entry 1 (Defence) and Entry 2 (Public Order) of the Union and State Lists respectively.
Significance and Implications
- Builds resilience in vulnerable populations, especially in border and conflict-prone zones.
- Strengthens inter-agency collaboration (IAF, local administration, health, police).
- Prepares the nation for multi-domain threats, echoing comprehensive national security doctrine.
