The Ministry of Home Affairs, through its Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards (DGFSCDHG), has launched a first-of-its-kind joint training initiative with the Indian Army to establish a vibrant Civil Defence Network across India. This initiative implements Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision announced on 15 August 2026 from the Red Fort for building a civil defence network equipped with modern systems and contemporary preparedness capabilities.
In the first phase, the program will train 600 Civil Defence Master Trainers (50 from each of 12 participating States/UTs) through a three-day specialized training program at designated Indian Army training establishments. The training is scheduled to be completed by the second week of November 2026. The participating States/UTs include Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
The training curriculum covers three broad areas: Threat Awareness (modern and hybrid warfare, drone awareness, air-raid threats), Protection and Emergency Response (critical infrastructure protection, fire safety, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) awareness, casualty management, search and rescue), and Communication and Coordination (emergency communication, cyber hygiene, digital resilience, civil-military coordination, incident command).
The initiative employs a structured Master Trainer model with significant multiplier effects. Following their specialized training, each Master Trainer will impart further training to 100 Civil Defence Volunteers in their respective State/UT. This cascading mechanism has the potential to extend specialized preparedness skills to 60,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across the 12 participating States/UTs.
The program aims to enhance civil-military coordination and institutional preparedness by combining the Indian Army's operational expertise with the Civil Defence volunteer network. It focuses on improving preparedness for emerging threats, coordinated emergency response, and critical infrastructure protection. Based on the outcomes of this pilot phase, the initiative is envisaged to be expanded to the remaining States/UTs in a phased manner.