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India is to build a vibrant Civil Defence network with a first-of-its-kind joint training initiative with the Indian Army aimed at enhancing preparedness for emerging threats, coordinated emergency response and critical infrastructure protection.
As part of the initiative, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday said a three-day specialised training for Civil Defence Master Trainers will be conducted in 12 states and Union Territories in the first phase. In the first phase, a total of 600 Civil Defence Master Trainers, with 50 from each participating state and UT, are proposed to be trained by the second week of November 2026 through a three-day specialised training programme at designated Indian Army training establishments. The participating states and UTs are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The training will cover three broad areas-- threat awareness, protection and emergency response, and communication and coordination. The training will be provided on modern and hybrid warfare, drone awareness and air-raid threats under the threat awareness module. Critical infrastructure protection, fire safety, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) awareness, casualty management, as well as search and rescue training will be provided in the second module. Besides, emergency communication, cyber hygiene, digital resilience, civil-military coordination and incident command will be part of the third training module under communication and coordination. Following the specialised training, the MHA said that each master trainer will impart further training to 100 Civil Defence volunteers in their respective states and UTs. "This cascading mechanism has the potential to extend specialised preparedness skills to 60,000 Civil Defence volunteers across the 12 participating states and UTs, thereby significantly expanding the reach and impact of the initiative," said the MHA. The ministry said the initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening civil-military coordination and institutional preparedness by combining the Indian Armys operational expertise with the Civil Defence volunteer network. "It will enhance preparedness for emerging threats, coordinated emergency response and critical infrastructure protection. Based on the outcomes of the pilot phase, the initiative is envisaged to be expanded to the remaining states and UTs in a phased manner, furthering the Prime Minister Modis vision of a robust, responsive and future-ready Vibrant Civil Defence network," the MHA said. The initiative has been taken months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the vision of building a vibrant Civil Defence network in his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 2026. The PM had said that the network will be equipped with modern systems, technologies and contemporary preparedness capabilities to address emerging security challenges. In furtherance of this vision, the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (DGFSCDHG), and the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordination with the Indian Army, is undertaking the first-of-its-kind pilot initiative to strengthen Civil Defence preparedness through specialised training of Civil Defence Master Trainers by the Indian Army. (ANI)
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