Operation Sindoor: Mock drills conducted in various cities across India

Amid India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ strike on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, mock drills were conducted at various places across the country on Wednesday (May 7).

Also read: How Operation Sindoor marks an evolution in India’s strategic posture

The drills were conducted on the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had asked all states and Union Territories to organise such exercises in light of the ''new and complex threats'' following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Students, teachers take part

In Delhi, students and teachers took part in a safety drill, aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness that included practising orderly evacuations, taking shelter under desks, and switching off electrical appliances when the siren sounded.

Also read: Indian missile strikes on Pakistan open up fearsome possibilities

The Delhi government has named the initiative 'Operation Abhyaas'. The drill was conducted at 55 locations across the city, with support from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), civil defence volunteers, home guards, and youth groups such as NCC, NSS, and NYKS.

At Amity School in Saket, Principal Divya Bhatia said the exercise began at 8:45 am with a briefing during the morning assembly.

Also read: Operation Sindoor: Who are Vikram Misri, Sofiya Qureshi, Vyomika Singh, who briefed media?

"We explained the purpose of the mock drill and the steps students needed to follow. After the briefing, we conducted the drill so they could understand the process in a hands-on manner," she said.

The drill started with a siren, prompting students to switch off electrical appliances and take cover under their desks or near walls. Once the siren ended, they placed their school bags over their heads and calmly moved to a designated safe area, Bhatia explained.

"Initially, the younger students thought it was a fun activity. But when the siren went off and the power was cut, a few got scared. Senior students helped calm them down. Overall, everyone was cooperative and followed the instructions well," she added.

Some students also asked teachers what to do in case of emergencies at home. "We guided them on basic safety tips like turning off appliances, keeping doors and windows shut, and staying calm," she said.

Mallikarjun Premanand, principal of Tagore International School in East of Kailash, said students were first shown an instructional video provided by the Education Department.

Awareness sessions

BJP MLA Shikha Rai also visited the school and praised the students for their participation.

Deepti Vohra, principal of DPS Vasant Kunj, said the day featured awareness sessions, live demonstrations, and emergency training across all classes.

For senior students, curated videos on emergency preparedness were shown in a hall, while other classes watched them on smart boards to ensure everyone could take part.

Schools have been asked to submit reports along with photographs to their respective district education offices by the end of the day, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said.

Mock drill at UP madrasa

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a mock drill was conducted at a madrasa.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali told ANI news agency, “As per the alert issued by the Home Ministry for mock drill...students have participated in this mock drill. They were trained to deal with emergency situations and defend themselves..."

In Gurugram, Haryana, mock drill was conducted at school. Gurugram Deputy Commissioner said the exercise is named “Operation Abhyas”.

In an advisory on social media, the DC urged people not to panic and asked them to stay calm and cooperate with the authorities.

Mock drills were also held at various schools in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Mock drills at 4 pm in Jharkhand

In Jharkhand, preparations have been made for mock drills at six places in the state, an official said.

The three-hour mock drill exercises will be conducted in five districts – Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Godda and Sahibganj – in association with civil defence organisations from 4 pm, he said.

Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations) Amol V Homkar said, "The exercise will be conducted at designated places identified by the district administrations. During the exercises, some emergency situations will be simulated and the preparedness of various agencies such as civil defence, police, fire services, medical teams and the public to handle such situations will be studied." The main objective of such an exercise is to enhance coordination among various agencies, reduce disaster response time, make it effective, and create awareness among the people, he said.

In Ranchi, the mock drill will be conducted in the city's Doranda limits from 4 pm to 7 pm.

"Common people have been requested not to panic when a siren blares during the mock drill. Citizens were urged to keep electricity off at homes during the exercise," Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said.

In Telangana, mock drills will be conducted by NCC cadets at Secunderabad, Kanchangabh, Golconda, Nacharam NFC areas at 4 pm, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a media release on Wednesday.

(With agency inputs)