Source: DH
Context: Ahead of rising geopolitical tensions, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered a nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drill across 244 districts on May 7, 2025, to assess emergency preparedness against military and disaster threats.
About Civil Defence in India:
- What is Civil Defence?
-
- Civil defence refers to organized efforts to protect civilians, infrastructure, and essential services during emergencies, especially in wartime or during natural or man-made disasters.
- Globally, it functions across six pillars: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, evacuation, and recovery.
- Legal Framework in India::
-
- Civil Defence Act, 1968: Enacted post-Indo-China and Indo-Pak conflicts to institutionalize civil protection.
- Amendment in 2009 (Act No. 3 of 2010): Expanded the role to include disaster management along with war-related functions.
- Structure and Functioning::
-
- Manned primarily by volunteers from various professions, trained to assist in emergency response.
- Activated during terror attacks, fires, floods, explosions, earthquakes, or other calamities before official responders arrive.
- Special focus on critical initial minutes of emergencies.
- Application:
-
- Though the Act is pan-India, active civil defence units are raised only in tactically vulnerable areas.
- These include nuclear power plants, ports, military bases, dams, oil refineries, and metropolitan cities.
- About Civil Defence Districts:
- Civil Defence Districts are specially designated areas where civil defence programmes are actively implemented by the Government of India under the Civil Defence Act, 1968.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs selects Civil Defence Districts based on strategic vulnerability:
- Proximity to International Borders: E.g., Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir
- Critical Infrastructure Presence: Nuclear plants, military bases, ports, telecom hubs
- Urban Density & Civilian Risk: Metro cities requiring evacuation planning
- Coastal Sensitivity: Maritime security in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal
