On February 27, an air battle raged between India and Pakistan over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. In the crucial 48 hours that followed, the ministry of defence scrambled jets along the LoC, and the ministry of external affairs briefed the envoys of the international comity of nations. But, far away from all the media glare, the ministry of home affairs had begun fixing the nuts and bolts of a brewing external conflict's internal dimensions.

Tucked in a corner of the first floor of the North Block, the Internal Security division witnessed increased activity. Sources said the IS division was pursuing the notifications and orders issued during the 1971 war with Pakistan, and the 1999 Kargil conflict. There is a difference between a declaration of war, and a limited conflict like Kargil. Hence, it was crucial for the home ministry to keep abreast of the historical arrangements, even while maintaining pace with geo-strategic situation that unfolded real-time on the ground.

Senior officials explained that once a state of war is declared, many of the subsequent emergency orders are issued by the Internal Security division of the MHA. There are other procedures to be followed in a limited conflict situation.

Situated between the home minister's office and the IS division is the office of Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who personally supervised a study of the government orders issued during the previous situations. Not many in the ministry want to talk about the discussions that went on behind the scenes, but, according to sources, there were signs that the IS division was ready for any emergency situation.

Former home secretary V.K. Duggal said, in such a situation, the ministry is required to take many steps. “These would involve movement of border guarding forces like BSF and ITBP, issuing orders for deployment of central paramilitary forces, guarding vital installations, and so on. The internal security setup was different in 1999, as were some of the deployments. So, any new emerging situation would require a study in the present context and the present threat assessments.” Duggal said other emergency measures could include mobilisation of resources, communication with state governments and alerting the public.

If needed, the paramilitary forces are placed under the general operational requirements of the military. During the 2001-2002 Operation Parakram, when India mobilised after the attack on Parliament, the Coast Guard, which is a full-fledged armed force and not a paramilitary force, was placed under the Navy.

The last time Indian and Pakistani jets engaged in combat was in 1971. On February 27, events unfolded fast and nobody could predict the possible fallout. IAF radars had detected Pakistani aircrafts heading towards Indian territory, which were intercepted immediately. Wing Commander Abhinandan had locked horns with a Pakistani jet, and hit his target successfully. But during this engagement, he was forced to eject. Later, Pakistan declared that they had him in their custody, sending the government into a tizzy. Abhinandan was released after India mounted military and diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. But, by then, the government was also prepared for all eventualities.