NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry will conduct a first-of-its-kind joint training with the Army to build a civil defence network of around 60,000 volunteers in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs) as part of a pilot project, according to an official statement.

In the first phase, a three-day specialised training will be given to civil defence master trainers from the participating states and UTs, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.

The initiative stems from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, in which he announced the vision of a vibrant civil defence network equipped with modern systems, technologies and contemporary preparedness capabilities to address emerging security challenges.

“The Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Ministry of Home Affairs, is undertaking a first-ofits-kind pilot initiative to strengthen civil defence preparedness through specialised training of civil defence master trainers by the Indian Army,” it said.

Six hundred civil defence master trainers, 50 from each participating state and UT, will be trained by the second week of November through a three-day specialised training programme at designated Indian Army training establishments.

“The participating states/UTs are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,” it said.

The initiative seeks to enhance civil defence personnel’s preparedness to respond effectively to contemporary security threats, hostile situations and emergencies, it said. The personnel will receive training in three broad areas: threat awareness, protection and emergency response, and communication and coordination.

Each master trainer will have to train 100 civil defence volunteers in their respective state or UT.