Indian Army to train civil defence personnel in 12 States, UTs

The Union Home Ministry has decided to build a ‘Civil Defence Network’ with training assistance from the Indian Army. The Ministry said in a release on Friday (October 23, 2026) that a three-day specialised training for ‘Civil Defence Master Trainers’ would be conducted by the second week of November in 12 States and Union Territories in the first phase of the programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in August that a Civil Defence Network would be built, 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 & Home Guards (DGFSCDHG), the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordination with the Indian Army, is undertaking a first-of-its-kind pilot initiative to strengthen civil defence preparedness through specialised training of ‘Civil Defence Master Trainers’ by the Indian Army,” the Ministry said.

A total of 600 Civil Defence Master Trainers, 50 from each participating State/UTs, will be trained at designated Indian Army training establishments by the second week of November. Civil defence personnel from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will participate in the training.

“The initiative seeks to enhance the preparedness of Civil Defence personnel to respond effectively to contemporary security threats, hostile situations and emergencies,” the Ministry said.

The training will cover three broad areas. The first, threat awareness, will include modern and hybrid warfare, drone awareness and air-raid threats. The second, protection and emergency response, will cover critical infrastructure protection, fire safety, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) awareness, casualty management and search and rescue. The third, communication and coordination, will cover emergency communication, cyber hygiene, digital resilience, civil-military coordination and incident command.

Following the specialised training, each master trainer will train a further 100 Civil Defence Volunteers in their respective States or Union Territories. “This cascading mechanism has the potential to extend specialised preparedness skills to 60,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across the 12 participating States/UTs, thereby significantly expanding the reach and impact of the initiative,” the Ministry said.