India trains 1,700 Aapda Mitras for civil defence amid border tension

Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, India trains 1,700 Aapda Mitra volunteers to support civil defence forces with emergency skills like evacuation, first aid, and firefighting

As border tensions with Pakistan intensify, the Indian government has strengthened its civil defence strategy by training over 1,700 Aapda Mitra volunteers. The large-scale training programme, held at Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium, is a joint initiative by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Indian Red Cross Society. 

The initiative, which aims to improve grassroots readiness, trains civilian volunteers in essential emergency response skills such as evacuation protocols, first aid, and firefighting.  These trained Aapda Mitras will assist civil defence forces in strengthening community resilience during natural disasters and security emergencies.

 

 

More than 1700 Aapda Mitra Volunteers trained for Civil Defense at SiriFort Auditorium by NDMA, DDMA, NDRF & India Red Cross Society. The key focus has been civilian support, evacuation,first aid & aide in firefighting. Aapda Mitras to work alongside the Civil Defense volunteers. pic.twitter.com/3CnTk487mI

— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण ???????? (@ndmaindia) May 9, 2025

  This push for grassroots preparedness comes at a time of heightened alert following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision air and missile strikes that destroyed nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

 

Tensions escalated further on Thursday night when Pakistan attempted retaliatory drone and missile strikes on multiple Indian military installations. According to the Defence Ministry, “The Pakistani military on Thursday night attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.”

 

The Indian armed forces successfully intercepted the attacks and launched a counteroffensive, deploying kamikaze drones to destroy a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore. Sirens and explosions were reported in Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla, and Kupwara, as Indian forces maintained a high-alert aerial vigil along the border.

 

The Defence Ministry confirmed the attempted strikes targeted 15 cities across northern and western India, including key locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. 

 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also addressed the escalating conflict, stating, “No limit will become an obstacle to protecting India's sovereignty and the nation is fully prepared for such responses.”

 

He emphasised India’s preference for peace and dialogue but warned against mistaking restraint for weakness. “However, if anyone tries to take advantage of this restraint, they will face quality action. We are fully prepared for such responsible responses in the future as well,” he added.

 

[With agency inputs]