Context: Operation Abhyaas, a large-scale civil defence preparedness drill, was recently held in several places in India as directed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to assess emergency response readiness amid heightened national security concerns.
About Operation Abhyaas:
- What it is: A multi-agency civil defence exercise conducted to simulate coordinated emergency responses, especially in urban areas during crises like blackouts, terror strikes, and natural disasters.
- Organised by: Civil Defence Organisation under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with participation from SDRF, Fire Services, NDRF, Police, Home Guards, CRPF, NCC, and medical teams.
- Aim: To strengthen inter-agency coordination and build community awareness in responding to large-scale emergencies or wartime-like situations.
- Key Features:
- High-rise fire evacuation drills, water rescues, and rope-based rescue simulations.
- Blackout drills including air-raid sirens, curtain blackout instructions, and emergency kit preparedness.
- Multi-location participation, including Raichur Railway Station where SCR civil defence teams simulated station-based crisis response.
Significance for UPSC Syllabus:
- GS Paper II – Governance:
- Reflects roles of MHA, SDRF, Civil Defence in decentralised emergency governance.
- GS Paper III – Disaster Management:
- Showcases real-time civil defence infrastructure and mock drills as part of capacity building.
- Blackout and evacuation protocols represent community-level resilience planning.
- Essay / Ethics Paper:
- Themes of humanitarian response, public trust, and ethical disaster management.
