Indian Army Master Trainers: India is planning to strengthen its Civil Defence network through a new training programme with the Indian Army. The initiative will prepare volunteers to deal with modern security threats, emergencies and attacks on important buildings and services.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Friday that the first phase will cover 12 states and Union Territories. Under this plan, 600 Civil Defence Master Trainers will receive special training at selected Indian Army training centres by the second week of November 2026.
The programme aims to improve how civilian volunteers respond during dangerous situations. It will also help them work more closely with the Army and other emergency teams when quick action is needed.
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12 States and UTs to Take Part in the First Phase
The first phase will include 50 Master Trainers from each of the 12 participating states and Union Territories. Each trainer will attend a three-day programme designed to build their knowledge and emergency response skills.
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 is part of a pilot initiative led by the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (DGFSCDHG) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Indian Army will provide its operational knowledge to help improve civilian preparedness.
What will the Indian Army Teach the Trainers?
The three-day programme will cover three main areas. These lessons will help volunteers understand new threats, protect people during emergencies and communicate better with other teams.
The training will cover the following topics:
- Threat awareness: Trainers will learn about modern and hybrid warfare, drone-related threats and air raids. This will help them understand the dangers that may arise during conflicts.
- Protection and emergency response: The programme will cover the protection of important infrastructure, fire safety and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats. Trainers will also learn casualty management, search and rescue skills to help people during accidents and other emergencies.
- Communication and coordination: This part will cover emergency communication, cyber hygiene and digital resilience. It will also teach civil-military coordination and incident command so that different teams can work together during an emergency.
These skills are important because Civil Defence volunteers may need to assist people during attacks, disasters and other dangerous situations. The training will help them understand their duties and respond in a more organised way.
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Training to Reach 60,000 Civil Defence Volunteers
After completing their training, each of the 600 Master Trainers will train 100 Civil Defence volunteers in their respective states and UTs.
According to the MHA, “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”.
The plan will allow the government to reach a much larger number of volunteers without training every person directly through the Army. It will also help spread emergency preparedness skills across different parts of the country.
The MHA said the initiative will strengthen civil-military coordination by bringing the Indian Army’s operational expertise together 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 Modi’s vision of a robust, responsive and future-ready Vibrant Civil Defence network,” the MHA said.
