Maharashtra's School Education Minister Dada Bhuse has announced that students will start getting basic military training from Class 1. The aim is to build discipline, and love for the country, and encourage regular physical exercise among children.

Retired soldiers will be brought in to train the students, the minister said. "A decision has been made to give basic military training to students starting from Class 1. This will help them develop a sense of patriotism, stay fit through regular exercise, and learn discipline," Bhuse added.

School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has supported the proposal.To carry out the plan, help will be taken from 2.5 lakh retired soldiers, along with sports teachers, NCC (National Cadet Corps), and Scouts and Guides, he added.

Mock drills were held across the country on May 7 under ‘Operation Abhyas’. A second round of drills called ‘Operation Shield’, took place on May 31 in states along the Pakistan border.These drills were done to check how ready civil defence teams are in case of an attack. The second round focused on fixing problems found during the earlier drills. During the exercises, different emergency situations were practised to improve preparedness. The drills come at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan remain high, with a strong focus on national security.