The Modi government at the Center is now making a new plan for Civil Defense and Home Guards soldiers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information at the 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defense Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Tuesday.
The Modi government at the Center is now making a new plan for Civil Defense and Home Guards soldiers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information at the 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defense Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Tuesday. Shah said that the Modi government will try to make timely changes in the charter of Home Guards and Civil Defense in the next four months by adding many new things to make it more relevant and useful. Through this step we will work to bring a new consciousness and life to both these organizations.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged before the countrymen to make India a fully developed nation by 2047. To accomplish this, we have to become a fully developed nation by maintaining our values, traditions, culture and languages along with development in every field. Service and security are two very important points towards realizing this resolution. The protection of every person, property, future and rights and inculcating our core values of service. Civil Defense and Home Guards are institutions associated with security and service. These organizations work to connect a section of the society with the protection and service of the society.
The Union Home Minister said that during this two-day conference, there will be detailed discussion on many points of strengthening of Home Guards and Civil Defence, capacity building and disaster management in five sessions. This conference will also become a medium of communication between the states, there will be exchange of good practices between them and the courage to solve the difficulties will also increase. In building Prime Minister Modi’s developed India, all dimensions of service and security can be achieved with Home Guards and Civil Defence.
Civil Defense Act passed in 1968
Amit Shah said that former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had worked to give an important role to Home Guards and Civil Defense since 1962. The Directorate General of Civil Defense was established in 1962 and the Civil Defense Act was passed in 1968. Home Guards and Civil Defense volunteers had an invaluable contribution in the wars of 1965 and 1971. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Home Guards and civil defense organizations, along with the armed forces and local administration, played a vital role in protecting critical infrastructure, general training of civilians and shifting them to safer places.
What will be in the charter of Home Guards and Civil Defense
He said that the Modi government will try to make timely changes in the charter of Home Guards and Civil Defense in the next four months by adding many new things to make it more relevant and useful. Through this step we will work to bring a new consciousness and life to both these organizations. The current Charter includes preparing people for war emergencies, protecting civilians, training people to survive the effects of war, building a mindset of nonviolent civil resistance, organizing communities, and helping to repair war-damaged infrastructure. and morale boosting work. If there is no change in the charter of any organization for 50 years, then both the organization and the charter become obsolete. There have been radical changes in the country in the last 50 years, needs have also changed due to technology and now the country has moved ahead.
27 soldiers lost their lives while serving the people during Covid
Amit Shah said that the way Home Guards and Civil Defense volunteers played an important role during the Covid pandemic and the passion they showed to serve the people is worthy of praise. During Covid, 27 Home Guards and Civil Defense personnel lost their lives while serving the people. The Home Minister said that training for Home Guards and Civil Defense to contribute to emergency services should be systematic and should have a place in the charter. Besides, there is a need to make institutional arrangements for home guards and civil defense in traffic management also. Similarly, they should be linked with awareness programs like drug free India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, tree plantation campaign, water conservation, awareness against evils, women safety, community health service, TB free India, fight against malnutrition, nutrition campaign etc.
Shah said that they should also play a constructive role in creating awareness against cyber security and digital fraud, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for environmental protection, plastic free India and tree plantation campaign. To assist in law and order, a roadmap should be made so that there is coordination between the people handling local law and order and Home Guards and Civil Defense. Support in education, such as reducing dropout ratio, 100 per cent enrollment and improving the quality of education should also find a place in the new charter. These also need to be included in the charter to link Home Guards and Civil Defense with various programs of the government for employment and self-reliance.
He said that today there is a need to think afresh about the role of these two organizations to make them more relevant keeping in mind the needs of the country. There is a need to breathe new life into both these institutions in the next four months. There is also a need to focus on training and bringing the youth forward. Till now, only those people have been associated with Home Guards and Civil Defense who want to come forward themselves for the society. The government will make efforts that just as all sections of the society are represented in NCC, NSS, similarly youth from every section of the society should join these institutions also. He said that we need to strengthen every link towards achieving the goal of building a developed India in 2047. Many dignitaries including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan were present on the occasion.
