In the wake of Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian Armed Forces, the Jodhpur district administration on Thursday announced the closure of all private and government schools as well as Anganwadis across the city until further notice.
District Collector Gaurav Agarwal issued the directive, stating:
“In view of the current situation, a holiday is being declared in all private and government schools and Anganwadis from today till further orders.”
Although the administration has not provided specific details behind the decision, local authorities have urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with officials.
Meanwhile, in Amritsar, the district administration resumed blackout measures as part of a nationwide civil defence drill, aimed at boosting public safety and preparedness in case of emergencies, the District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) said on Wednesday.
“Taking utmost caution, the Amritsar district administration has again started the blackout process. Please stay at home, do not panic and do not gather outside your houses; keep the outside lights switched off,”
the Amritsar DPRO said in a statement.
This blackout was part of a larger mock drill initiative ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to test India’s emergency response. Key areas across the country underwent scheduled blackouts as a precautionary and awareness measure.
Speaking about the blackout drill, ASI Jagtar Singh shared:
“The blackout was between 10.30 pm and 11 pm, half an hour. The directions are that there should not be any lights on so that the enemy may not know there is a city here. The rehearsal is being done for the interest of the country… Some people are following the blackout, and some are not… The siren was activated and then there was a complete blackout within two minutes.”
States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar also participated in similar blackout drills. Major cities including Barmer, Gwalior, Surat, Shimla, and Patna turned off lights at prominent locations and public spaces to participate in the exercise.
In the national capital Delhi, landmarks like Rashtrapati Bhavan and Vijay Chowk went dark for the drill. Raj Bhavan in Patna also observed the blackout directive.
These measures come amid heightened tensions in the region following India’s deep strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) under Operation Sindoor.