The most consulted book by senior Indian bureaucrats since 7th May, including during ‘Operation Sindoor‘ has been a substantial blue manual exceeding 200 pages, which remains confidential.

Officially titled the “Union War Book 2010,” this exclusive publication has surprisingly risen to prominence and is currently guiding the government’s preparations for war-like scenarios. The book provides an analysis of the responses and roles of the different branches of government in situations of armed conflict.

The original limited edition is highly classified and characterised by its extreme confidentiality. The officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Cabinet Secretariat who aid in its preparation and annual revisions are unable to reveal the identities of its rightful custodians.

However, each state chief secretary reportedly has a copy in addition to the Union ministries involved. While it is not publicly accessible, this manual has been quietly stored in the offices of chief secretaries across all Indian states and key ministries at the centre.

It outlines every task for emergency responses, including evacuations, sirens and fire drills. It has been studied, reopened and monitored more thoroughly than ever in recent days, especially as emergency exercises, siren tests and evacuation protocols have been conducted by authorities across the nation.

“It tells these key officers what each one of them should do in case of a war. So there is no confusion at all and everybody has a clear idea of what protocol to follow,” an official told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.

This document is not broadly shared or circulated, even within governmental circles. Additionally, there are no copies available for public viewing. Nevertheless, when necessary, it acts as the crucial guide directing all phases of the government’s response framework.

What is the Union War Book

The Union War Book has been in existence for a long period of time. The concept has evolved since the colonial era with significant revisions approximately every 15 years. The most recent iteration was created in 2010 in response to the Pakistan sponsored 26/11 Mumbai terror assaults which claimed the lives of 174 individuals, including security personnel. GK Pillai, the Union Home Secretary at the time, spearheaded the initiative to put together the 2010 edition.

This handbook is intended to serve as a comprehensive guide for government employees in times of war. Everything is covered in detail, from handling large mobilizations and managing misinformation to maintaining food supply, delivery of fuel and medications. The entire government apparatus, including the military, railroads, civil aviation, shipping, transportation, health and all other agencies, comes into action during a war. The book serves as the foundation for the military’s planning and strategy preparation.

“While an updated version of the book is brought out every 15 years or so, every year, the three ministries send notes. These are then pasted on the book. Technological updates are a part of it,” the aforementioned officer disclosed, clarifying how the edition remains aligned with modern techniques and progress. While the core text is from 2010, supplementary annotations addressing various subjects, including cyber warfare, drones, and social media surveillance, have been incorporated as margins and inserts.

Notably, the book encourages the use of time-tested tools. Hence, the officials observe that old is gold during wartime and point out that they continue to support the usage of traditional radios and flashlights because in the event of an war, enemies could incapacitate mobile networks or execute cyber attacks. Thus, returning to basic methods is vital. The government would then turn to more antiquated forms of communication.

Therefore, the Union War Book emphasizes the importance of having radios, flashlights and manual communication systems readily available. A mechanism to guarantee the security of critical infrastructure, such as the communication network and banking system also appears in the book. It contains instructions on when and how to activate civil defense and normalize the situation in public areas. “The thing for the public to know is that the Indian establishment is very good at handling emergencies. We have a lot of experience and we all know what to do,” an offcial stated.

Union War Book enters the scene

All authorities are openly citing this 15-year-old guidebook, even though its contents are concealed. For example, the office of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis released a statement in Marathi detailing the main points of a closed-door meeting thatthe chief recently conducted to review the state’s preparedness. “Study central government’s Union War Book and inform about the instructions to all the concerned,” the notification read. Some states have also also created their own War Books based on the Union War Book.

It is apparent that the manual has shifted from its secluded location on the shelf to become pivotal in the decision-making process. Although the book’s real contents remain under wraps, Hindustan Times was able to examine an example checklist from one state’s edition. The list covered everything from arrangements for food supplies to keeping an eye on contentious social media posts. The “social media management” section suggests that officials work with the local police’s Information Technology wing to monitor and report offensive content on the internet.

Officers are also urged in another section of the list to develop staff rosters that are updated frequently to ensure that administrative tasks do not stall in the event of an emergency. Several officials are, however, optimistic that they can soon return the book to its secured location without the necessity of implementing it.

The recent hostilities between India and Pakistan escalated following “Operation Sindoor,” executed to destroy the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, in response to the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack which ended the lives of 26 Hindu tourists, on 22nd April. Afterward, Pakistan not only breached the ceasefire agreement but also targeted civilian regions in various border areas, including Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Nevertheless, the forces successfully thwarted the attacks and retaliated by striking their key military installations.