In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India is intensifying its preparedness amid rising tensions with Pakistan. The central government has announced a massive nationwide mock drill to be conducted on May 7 in 244 districts across the country — the first of such scale since the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

The decision follows strong remarks from the Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who have vowed that the Pahalgam attack will not go unanswered. In a show of unity and strategic planning, all three service chiefs recently held a high-level meeting with top government officials.

Massive Deployment and Preparedness

Security forces have already been deployed in sensitive regions, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, which remains on high alert. The mock drill, being organized under the coordination of the Home Ministry, will simulate wartime scenarios to train both civilians and emergency services.

During the drill, a complete blackout will be observed. Lights in homes, offices, and public places will be turned off. Air raid sirens will sound, signaling citizens to evacuate or take shelter. This initiative is aimed at training the public in safety protocols and ensuring preparedness in case of real conflict.

Officials from various departments, including DG NDRF, DG Home Guard, DG Fire Services, and representatives from railways and air security, are currently attending a coordination meeting in New Delhi. The SDRF has also begun on-ground preparations in cities like Srinagar.

Key Participating Regions

The mock drill will cover a wide range of districts across multiple states and union territories. Highlights include:

Here is the list of all the 244 districts where the mock drill will be conducted:

Rajasthan (26 districts):

  1. Kota
  2. Rawat-Bhata
  3. Ajmer
  4. Alwar
  5. Barmer
  6. Bharatpur
  7. Bikaner
  8. Bundi
  9. Ganganagar
  10. Hanumangarh
  11. Jaipur
  12. Jaisalmer
  13. Jodhpur
  14. Udaipur
  15. Sikar
  16. Placenta
  17. Suratgarh
  18. Abu Road
  19. Nasirabad (Ajmer)
  20. Bhiwari
  21. Phulera (Jaipur)
  22. Nagaur (Merta Road)
  23. Jalore
  24. Bewar (Ajmer)
  25. Lalgarh (Ganganagar)

Uttar Pradesh (19 districts):

  1. Bulandshahr (Narora)
  2. Agra
  3. Allahabad
  4. Bareilly
  5. Ghaziabad
  6. Gorakhpur
  7. Jhansi
  8. Kanpur
  9. Lucknow
  10. Mathura
  11. Meerut
  12. Moradabad
  13. Saharanpur
  14. Varanasi
  15. Bakshi-ka-Talab
  16. Mughal Sarai
  17. Sarsawa
  18. Bagpat
  19. Muzaffarnagar

Haryana (11 districts):

  1. Ambala
  2. Hisar
  3. Faridabad
  4. Gurgaon
  5. Panchkula
  6. Panipat
  7. Rohtak
  8. Sirsa
  9. Sonepat
  10. Yamuna Nagar
  11. Jhajjar

Gujarat (20+ districts):

  1. Vadodara
  2. Ahmedabad
  3. Jamnagar
  4. Gandhinagar
  5. Bhavnagar
  6. Kakrapur
  7. Kandla
  8. Tubes
  9. Ankleshwar
  10. Okha
  11. Vadinar
  12. Bharuch
  13. Riots
  14. Raw
  15. Mehsana
  16. Narmala
  17. Navsari
  18. Surat
  19. Bharuch
  20. Rajkot

Jammu and Kashmir (22 districts):

  1. Anantnag
  2. Budgam
  3. Baramulla
  4. Doda
  5. Jammu
  6. Kargil
  7. Kathua
  8. Kupwara
  9. Leh
  10. Tail
  11. Rajouri
  12. Srinagar
  13. Udyampur
  14. Samba
  15. Akhnoor
  16. Uri
  17. Nowshera
  18. BeautifulBunny
  19. Avantipur
  20. Pulwama

Punjab (20 districts):

  1. Amritsar
  2. Bathinda
  3. Ferozepur
  4. Gurdaspur
  5. Hoshiarpur
  6. Jalandhar
  7. Ludhiana
  8. Patiala
  9. Pathankot
  10. Ajnampur
  11. Barnala
  12. Bhakra-Nangal
  13. Halwara
  14. Kothakapur
  15. Batala
  16. Mohali (Sasnagar)
  17. Abohar
  18. Faridpur
  19. Ropar
  20. Sangrur

Odisha (12 districts):

  1. Talcher
  2. Balasore
  3. Koraput
  4. Bhubaneswar
  5. Gopalpur
  6. Hirakud
  7. Paradip
  8. Rourkela
  9. Bhadrak
  10. Dhenkanal
  11. Jagatsinghpur
  12. Kendrapara

Bihar (4 districts):

  1. Katihar
  2. Patna
  3. Purnia
  4. Begusarai

Assam (15 districts):

  1. Bongaigaon
  2. Dibrugarh
  3. Dhubri
  4. Goalpara
  5. Jorhat
  6. Sibsagar
  7. Tinsukia
  8. Tezpur
  9. Digboi
  10. Duliajan
  11. Guwahati (Dispur)
  12. Rangia
  13. Naamrup
  14. Nazira
  15. North-Lakhimpur

Jharkhand (5 districts):

  1. Bokaro
  2. Gomyo
  3. Godda
  4. Sahebganj

Arunachal Pradesh (3 districts):

  1. Itanagar
  2. Tawang
  3. Hayuling

West Bengal (20 districts):

  1. Cooch Behar
  2. Darjeeling
  3. Jalpaiguri
  4. Durgapur
  5. Greater Kolkata
  6. Haldia
  7. Hashimara
  8. Kharagpur
  9. Asansol
  10. Farakka
  11. Chittaranjan
  12. Balurghat
  13. Alipurduar
  14. Islampur
  15. Dinhata
  16. Mekhliganj
  17. Mathabhanga
  18. Kalimpong
  19. Jaldhaka
  20. Kurseong

Madhya Pradesh (4 districts):

  1. Bhopal
  2. Indore
  3. Gwalior
  4. Jabalpur

Additional Locations:

  • Chandigarh
  • Durg (Bhilai) – Chhattisgarh
  • Dadra (Silvassa) – Dadra and Nagar Haveli
  • Daman – Daman and Diu
  • Puducherry
  • Shimla – Himachal Pradesh
  • Delhi (including New Delhi and Delhi Cantonment)
  • Andaman-Nicobar – Port Blair
  • Hyderabad
  • Visakhapatnam – Andhra Pradesh
  • Agartala – Tripura
  • Dehradun – Uttarakhand

Purpose and Public Cooperation

Officials emphasized that the drill is not a cause for panic but a precautionary training exercise. Citizens are advised to follow all instructions, remain calm, and participate actively. Leaflets and digital alerts are being circulated to educate people about safety protocols.