Mock drills to be held at three places in Karnataka on May 7
Bengaluru, May 6 (PTI): Mock drills will be conducted in Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur on May 7, given the "new and complex threats" that have emerged amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Director General of Police Prashant Kumar Thakur said the drills will continue for a week and are aimed at identifying and addressing gaps in preparedness and resources.
"Mock drills will be held at three locations in the state, including Bengaluru city, which is a metropolitan area with numerous defence establishments and is a very sensitive district for Karnataka," Thakur said.
"The second location is Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, home to the Kaiga nuclear power station. The third is Raichur, selected due to the thermal power station there," he added.
Speaking to reporters, Thakur said, "We have discussed the mock drill components with the Ministry of Home Affairs."
He clarified that sirens are not the sole component of the drill. The exercise also includes hospital mobilisation, relief efforts, and rescue operations.
There are about 5,000 civil defence personnel in Bengaluru, all of whom will be activated and deployed across the city as part of the drill, he added.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed all states to conduct such mock drills.
Thakur said the drill will be held at 4 pm tomorrow, with the timing chosen to account for both daytime and nighttime scenarios, from Northeast India to Gujarat.
The civil defence organisational structure includes people from diverse backgrounds—doctors, students, NCC cadets, and others. All of them have been trained and will be briefed and tested during the drill. By deploying them, we aim to assess and fix the gaps in preparation and resources, thereby building capability and confidence, he said.
Thakur noted that sirens have been installed at various police and fire stations.
In Bengaluru, 35 sirens have been deployed, of which 32 are functional, each with a range of approximately 3 km.
"People should know what actions to take when they hear the siren. We are expecting a formal guideline from Delhi on this. The decision regarding the drill was taken yesterday in Delhi, and we were informed last night," he said.
A video conference was held on Tuesday to finalise plans. We must assess our preparedness and address any shortcomings, he added.
According to a communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the measures to be taken during the mock drills include operationalising air-raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil defence procedures to protect themselves during a "hostile attack" and clearing bunkers and trenches.
Other steps include implementing crash-blackout measures, camouflaging vital plants and installations, and updating and rehearsing evacuation plans, according to a letter sent to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories.
The drills will also involve activating hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), and testing the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms.
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'His health is not good': SC asks Centre to review Sonam Wangchuk's detention
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre if there was any possibility for the government to relook at the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk considering his health condition.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale observed that Wangchuk's health report was not good and asked Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, to seek instructions in the matter.
"Apart from submissions, counter submissions and law points, just give a thought to it, as an officer of the Court. The detention order is passed on September 26, 2025, nearly five months.
"Considering the health condition of the detainee... The report which we saw earlier, it shows that his health is not that good. There are certain age-related, may be otherwise. Is there a possibility for the government to rethink, or even relook? the bench observed orally.
Nataraj said that he would put the suggestion to the concerned authorities.
During the hearing, the additional solicitor general submitted that Wangchuk was responsible for violence in Leh last year in which four people died and 161 were injured.
"It was ultimately, his provocative speech, provocation, instigation. The person need not actively participate, the propensity of person to influence a group of persons...that is more than sufficient," Nataraj said.
The law officer contended that order of Wangchuk's detention was approved on October 3, 2025, and there is no challenge to the approval order.
The arguments remained inconclusive and are set to continue on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh administration had told the apex court that Wangchuk was detained for instigating people in a border area where regional sensitivity is involved.
Justifying Wangchuk's detention, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the bench that all procedural safeguards were followed while ordering his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
On Monday, the Centre had said that Wangchuk tried to instigate Gen Z for protests like in Nepal and Bangladesh.
Mehta had said that Wangchuk even referred to Arab Spring-like agitation which has led to the overthrow of multiple governments in countries of the Arab world.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of Wangchuk, against his detention under the stringent NSA.
The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner "prejudicial to the defence of India". The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
On January 29, Wangchuk, who is under detention in the Jodhpur Central Jail, denied allegations that he made a statement to overthrow the government like the 'Arab Spring', emphasising that he has the democratic right to criticise and protest.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, submitted that police have relied on "borrowed material" and selective videos to mislead the detaining authority.
Angmo claims the detention is illegal and an arbitrary exercise violating his fundamental rights.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead in the Union Territory. The government accused him of inciting the violence.
The plea said it is wholly "preposterous" that Wangchuk would suddenly be targeted after more than three decades of being recognised at the state, national and international levels for his contributions to grassroots education, innovation and environmental conservation in Ladakh and across India.
Angmo said the unfortunate events of violence in Leh on September 24 last year cannot be attributed to the actions or statements of Wangchuk in any manner.
Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically said violence would lead to the failure of Ladakh's "tapasya" and peaceful pursuit of five years, Angmo said, adding it was the saddest day of his life.
