DH Deciphers | Centre to hold first civil defence drill since 1971 amid India-Pakistan tensions

New Delhi: Amid heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union government has announced nationwide civil defence mock drills to assess preparedness for a sudden enemy strike. Scheduled for May 7, the drills will test the effectiveness of air raid warning systems and train civilians and students in emergency response to protect lives and property.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a meeting on Tuesday with chief secretaries and civil defence chiefs from all states ahead of the exercise — the first of its kind since the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Sumit Pande explains the concept of civil defence preparedness in the face of an enemy attack, disaster or calamity.

When was civil defence introduced in India?

Civil defence measures were part of the central government's policy to deal with immediate emergency conditions. After the 1962 Sino-India conflict and the 1965 Indo-Pak war, the scope of civil defence was expanded with the enactment of the Civil Defence Act, 1968.

How is Civil Defence defined under the Act?

Civil defence in India is defined in the law as measures, excluding actual combat, aimed at protecting persons, property and places in the face of a hostile attack. The objective of these measures taken before, during, or after the attack is to mitigate the impact of the assault from air, land, sea, or other places. The Act was amended in 2009 to include disaster management as an additional role for the Civil Defence Corps.

What is the Civil Defence Corps?

The Civil Defence Act 1968 authorises the raising of the Civil Defence Corps, primarily through voluntary enrolment of civilians—including students, staff from government and private organisations, and hospital personnel—trained to respond during wars and emergencies. While the backbone of the corps consists of volunteers, its operations are overseen by senior government officials. The controller, usually the district magistrate, and the director of civil defence are appointed by the state. Volunteers receive training from deputy controllers, doctors, and instructors, with master trainers trained at the National Civil Defence College in Nagpur and state-level Civil Defence Training Institutes.

Where is the Civil Defence Corps raised?

The corps is raised in areas which are “tactically and strategically considered vulnerable, especially the ones with installations like nuclear plants, military bases, refineries and dams. The Union Home Ministry conducts civil defence in coordination with state home departments. The current target of Civil Defence volunteers in India is pegged at 14.11 lakhs.

What does a civil defence mock drill entail?

The mock drill includes testing air-raid sirens and assessing civilian response to attacks. Volunteers are trained to save lives, minimise property damage, and ensure continuity of agriculture in the hinterland. The Centre is empowered to enforce civil defence measures such as traffic regulation, control of lights and sounds, and restrictions on explosives and vessels. A key drill component is reducing nighttime light and glare—not only to conceal potential targets but also to deny enemy aircraft visual cues for navigation.

The concept of civil defence has been expanded over the years to factor in threat perceptions against nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. Wednesday's mock drill will be conducted in 244 civil defence districts in 26 states and Union Territories.