MHA and Army launch first-of-its-kind pilot training for Civil Defence master trainers – 12 States/UTs incl. Tamil Nadu
23-10-2026 · English
Topics: Science, Economy & Defence · 23 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)
News
The MHA's Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (DGFSCDHG), with the Indian Army, announced a first-of-its-kind pilot training for Civil Defence master trainers (23 Oct 2026). In phase one, 600 trainers – 50 each from 12 States/UTs – get 3 days of training at Army training establishments, to finish by the second week of November 2026. Each will train 100 volunteers, creating about 60,000 volunteers. It is part of the 'vibrant Civil Defence network' the PM announced in his Independence Day speech on 15 Aug 2026.
Key facts
| Partners | DGFSCDHG (MHA) + Indian Army |
| States/UTs (12) | J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Assam, UP, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Scale | 600 master trainers (50 each) → 60,000 volunteers |
| Modules | Hybrid war, drone & air-raid awareness, critical infrastructure, CBRN, search & rescue, cyber hygiene, civil-military coordination |
| Duration | 3 days; done by 2nd week of Nov 2026 |
Background
- Law: Civil Defence Act, 1968 (May 1968, Act 27) – measures to protect people and property during war or hostile attack; a 2009 amendment added disaster management to the Civil Defence Corps' role. 244 districts across the country are categorised as Civil Defence districts.
- History: Civil Defence policy was overhauled after the 1962 China war and the 1965 India–Pakistan war. Home Guards were first raised on 6 Dec 1946 in Bombay Province under Morarji Desai; 6 Dec is 'All India Civil Defence and Home Guards Day'.
- Training: National Civil Defence College (NCDC), Nagpur – began on 29 Apr 1957 as the Central Emergency Relief Training Institute (CERTI), renamed in 1968; it trains master trainers.
- Recent: after the Pahalgam attack (22 Apr 2025), the 'Operation Abhyaas' civil defence mock drill was held in 244 districts on 7 May 2025 – the largest since the 1971 war.
Tamil Nadu link: Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are the southern States among the 12 chosen for phase one – 50 master trainers from Tamil Nadu will be trained. In the 'Operation Abhyaas' drill of 7 May 2025, Chennai and the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) at Kalpakkam took part.
Source: ANI, The Kashmir Monitor (23 Oct 2026); civildefencewarriors.gov.in; Wikipedia (NCDC, Home Guard, 2025 drill); TNPSC Thervupettagam
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