Operation Abhyaas
India is stepping up its emergency preparedness with the launch of Operation Abhyaas, the country’s largest-ever civil defence and disaster response drill. Set against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, frequent natural disasters, climate-related events, and urban vulnerabilities, Operation Abhyaas represents a bold and strategic initiative to unify India’s civilian population, government departments, and emergency services into one synchronized response mechanism.
In this blog, we explore what Operation Abhyaas is, why it matters, what it entails, and how it signals a shift in India’s disaster management doctrine in 2025 and beyond.
🛡️ What Is Operation Abhyaas?
Operation Abhyaas is a pan-India civil defence simulation and emergency response exercise that mimics multi-hazard scenarios ranging from natural calamities to human-induced threats. It combines technology, real-time field exercises, psychological readiness, and social mobilisation in one coordinated framework.
The drill is designed to:
- Test resilience of local and national institutions
- Train civilians and first responders under pressure
- Create awareness about emerging threats
- Enable cross-sector coordination involving healthcare, energy, telecom, and transport
The operation is spearheaded by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in close coordination with state disaster management authorities, armed forces, emergency medical services, private organizations, and grassroots community volunteers.
🔍 Objectives of the Operation
- Strengthen Inter-Agency Coordination
- Ensure rapid information sharing between emergency control rooms, police, hospitals, and disaster management cells.
- Enhance Public Awareness & Participation
- Empower citizens with evacuation skills, basic medical first aid, hazard perception, and survival tactics.
- Stress-Test Urban and Rural Response Mechanisms
- Conduct drills in metro stations, high-rise buildings, village schools, and public hospitals to gauge readiness.
- Promote a Culture of Preparedness
- Move from reactive crisis response to proactive, rehearsed readiness at all levels of society.
- Integrate Tech Tools in Emergency Response
- Use of drones for aerial surveillance, AI-based dashboards for command and control, real-time geolocation alerts, facial recognition in evacuation zones, and predictive analytics for threat detection.
- Boost Volunteerism & Youth Involvement
- Deploy college students, NSS, NCC cadets, and RWAs as mock evacuees, helpers, and data recorders.
- Link Policy to Practice
- Provide feedback loops to policymakers on real-time gaps, bottlenecks, and success stories in disaster readiness.
📍 Where Is It Happening?
Operation Abhyaas is being carried out across more than 100 cities and towns, chosen based on regional vulnerability assessments. Locations include:
- Urban Metros: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai
- Flood Zones: Assam, Kerala, Odisha, Bihar
- Seismic Belts: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim
- Industrial Hubs: Pune, Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam
- Border Areas: Jammu & Kashmir, Northeast states, Rajasthan (for simulated infiltration and terror drills)
- Smart Cities: Bhopal, Indore, Surat – tested for use of IoT systems and disaster dashboards
Every city has a customized action plan prepared by its District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) based on its demographic, climatic, and infrastructural profiles.
🚨 Key Activities and Simulations
- Mock Disaster Response Exercises
- Simulated earthquakes, dam bursts, landslides, building fires, and hazardous spills.
- Mass Casualty Management
- Setup of mobile hospitals, trauma response teams, stretcher relays, triage systems.
- Evacuation & Relocation Drills
- Coordination with school buses, metro trains, ambulances, and community halls as relocation centers.
- Critical Infrastructure Protection
- Cyber drills on airport data systems, power plant integrity checks, water purification contamination simulations.
- Digital Disruption Simulations
- Ransomware mock attacks on banking servers and telecom networks.
- Command & Control Room Evaluations
- Monitoring response time, decision-making hierarchy, escalation protocol effectiveness.
- Public Communication Systems Testing
- Broadcasting via Doordarshan, community radio, WhatsApp groups, SMS blasts, and visual signage.
- Volunteer Mobilization & Behavioural Simulation
- Crowd panic modeling, real-time feedback forms, behavioral response under distress.
🤝 Who’s Involved?
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
- Indian Army, Air Force, & Paramilitary Forces (ITBP, CRPF, BSF)
- Ministries of Health, Railways, Civil Aviation, Defence, Urban Affairs, and IT
- Municipal Corporations & Urban Development Authorities
- Hospitals, Blood Banks, Ambulance Networks & Medical Colleges
- Telecom Operators, Internet Providers, Power Grids & Water Boards
- School Boards, RWAs, Panchayats, and Gram Sabhas
- Civil Society Groups, Red Cross, NCC, NSS, Scouts & Guides
- Private Sector Companies for CSR-based funding and skill-based volunteering
- UNDP, WHO, and Red Crescent (in advisory and observer roles)
💡 Why Does Operation Abhyaas Matter?
- India’s Expanding Risk Profile: With over 70% of Indian districts disaster-prone, regular drills are no longer optional.
- Public-Private Preparedness: Aligning corporate resources with public planning ensures rapid logistics, shelter, and recovery.
- Youth as First Responders: Involving students creates generational awareness and builds a preparedness culture.
- Global Benchmarking: This initiative aligns India with best practices from Japan (Kikikanri drills), Israel (Home Front Command), and the U.S. FEMA’s National Preparedness Month.
- Real-World Lessons: Unveils actionable gaps like ambulance delays, language barriers in messaging, or panic handling errors.
📢 Final Word
Operation Abhyaas is India’s most ambitious step toward becoming disaster-resilient. It merges simulation with civic responsibility, grassroots involvement with high-tech tools, and central command with local action. Its greatest success will be measured not just in drills conducted but in lives saved during real emergencies.
If knowledge is power, then preparation is protection.
🌐 For ongoing updates on Operation Abhyaas, public participation drives, and emergency preparedness tips, visit GlobalInfoVeda.com