'Operation Shield' will now take place on May 31 across western border states and UTs

'Operation Shield' - a major border security exercise that was previously postponed due to administrative reasons, will now be conducted on May 31.

The Centre has reportedly announced that ‘Operation Shield’, a major border security exercise that was previously postponed due to administrative reasons, will now be conducted on May 31. 

The exercise will be carried out simultaneously across all western states and Union Territories bordering Pakistan, with the aim of strengthening coordination between civil, military, and intelligence agencies amid heightened security concerns.

Days after launching Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India had announced a large-scale civil defence drill named Operation Shield across border states and UTs — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Initially scheduled for the evening of May 29, the exercise aimed to test emergency response mechanisms in districts bordering Pakistan.

As per latest developments, Operation Shield has been rescheduled for May 31, and will be carried out simultaneously across the identified states and Union Territories.

Operation Sindoor, which triggered this readiness drive, was launched during the night of May 7-8 as a coordinated tri-services strike on terror camps across the border, following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, including several tourists.