B Henok Bichem, NCS and Director General of Home Guards during the coordination meeting-cum-workshop on civil defence on October 4. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, October 6 (MExN): The Nagaland government will train 3,600 Civil Defence personnel by March next year, as part of a national initiative to bolster community resilience following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.
Renchamo P Kikon, IPS, Director General of Home Guards, Civil Defence and SDRF, said that the Government of India has conceptualised the Scheme for Training and Capacity Building of Civil Defence to be implemented by March 31, 2026.
Delivering the keynote address at a coordination meeting-cum-workshop on civil defence, Kikon highlighted the ‘changing geo-political landscape’ in the subcontinent that necessitated mobilisation and capacity building of civil defence volunteers across the nation, stated a DIPR report.
He informed that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on June 9, 2025 between the Directorate General of Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards, MHA, and the Directorate of Home Guards, Civil Defence and SDRF, Nagaland, to implement the scheme.
Under the MoU, Nagaland has been entrusted with training 20 Master Trainers at the Central Training Institute in Toluvi, Dimapur, and 3,600 Civil Defence Wardens and Volunteers across the state’s 10 Civil Defence Districts - Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Phek, Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Peren.
The coordination meeting-cum-workshop on civil defence was organised by the state’s Directorate of Home Guards, Civil Defence and State Disaster Response Force at its Headquarters, Kohima on October 4. The programme was conducted in compliance with a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to all states and union territories in the aftermath of the April 2025 terror attack and India's subsequent military response, Operation Sindoor.
In his remarks, Deputy Commandant General, Medozhalie Pienyu emphasised the vital role of Warden Service, urging Deputy Commissioners to appoint ‘individuals of repute’ as Civil Defence Wardens, who serve as a critical link between the government and the community during emergencies.
The workshop, attended by Deputy Commissioners and District Commandants of Home Guards, concluded with an interactive session and closing remarks by Senior Staff Officer Mulai Lamniah.
