Latest news with #CivilDefenceAct
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan launches ‘urban resilience' drills to test war readiness amid PLA pressure
Taiwan on Thursday launched sweeping civil defence exercises across Taipei and several northern cities, testing society-wide wartime readiness and urban resilience in the face of escalating pressure from Beijing. The drills were held alongside the island's annual Han Kuang military exercise , Taiwan's largest and most comprehensive war games. This year marks the first time that the government has officially integrated its long-running civil response and air defence drills into a single, comprehensive 'urban resilience exercise' At 1.30pm, air-raid sirens sounded across northern Taiwan, prompting a coordinated response that included the evacuation of civilians and vehicles, lighting blackouts, and shelter-in-place procedures. In Taipei, mass rapid transit (MRT) stations implemented 'entry-only' protocols, with passengers instructed to remain underground. Streets emptied, traffic stopped, and businesses shut their doors – transforming the capital into a wartime simulation. The siren pattern – one long and two short blasts over a total of 115 seconds – marked the beginning of the drill, followed by a 90-second all-clear signal at 2pm. Authorities issued real-time mobile alerts to guide citizens through emergency steps. Those who failed to comply risked fines of up to NT$150,000 (US$5,100) under the Civil Defence Act.
India Gazette
15-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"No caste, no recommendation, no bribe UP police constable recruitment done with full transparency," says Amit Shah
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 15 (ANI): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday handed over appointment letters to more than 60,244 newly recruited constables of the Uttar Pradesh Police, stating that the recruitment process was carried out transparently, without any influence of caste, recommendation, or bribery. Addressing the recruits at a state-level ceremony in Lucknow, Shah said, 'Till date, recruitments in the Police force were being done on the basis of caste. But today, all of you have been appointed because of transparency through technology. Today, there are CCTV cameras, control rooms, command centres, PCR One, and more than 150 FSL units. All of you have to take this forward. I am confident that you will move forward with the mantra of security, service and sensitivity.' He noted that the selected youth come from every caste, community, tehsil, and district of the state and are now part of the country's largest police force. Calling it a landmark moment in the lives of the recruits, the Home Minister added, 'Today is the most auspicious day in the lives of the youth sitting in front of me because today more than 60,000 youth representing every caste, community and district of Uttar Pradesh are going to become an active part of the largest police force of India.' Reflecting on the state's past law and order situation, Shah said, 'The state's law and order were continuously deteriorating. But after the BJP government formed in the state in 2017, Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh Police again started moving toward achieving new heights.' He added that between 2014 and 2017, modernisation of the UP Police was not visible, but things started changing after 2017. 'Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, modernisation took place in the police force across the country, but it happened after three years in UP. From 2014 to 2017, modernisation was not visible in the UP police, but after 2017, the picture changed and recruitments also took place,' Shah said. He also spoke about broader reforms being brought in through changes to the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, and Civil Defence Act. 'I am telling you about these three laws today, that in five years, such a situation will arise in the country that if any FIR is lodged, the citizen will get justice up to the Supreme Court in three years,' he said. The Home Minister also extended his best wishes to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, BJP State President Bhupendra Chaudhary, and all the new recruits. The Uttar Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024 was held on August 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31 last year across 67 districts. The exam, conducted in two shifts each day, was held at 1,174 centres and aimed to fill over 60,000 vacancies. According to UP Police, the recruitment was one of the largest, most transparent, and technology-driven exercises conducted in India. Sharing a video of a selected candidate, UP Police posted on X: 'One voice out of 60,000+ dreams. Behind every newly recruited constable in Uttar Pradesh is a story of merit, determination, and an exam process that left no room for doubt. This is a glimpse of that journey -- made possible by the unwavering commitment of the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment & Promotion Board, which conducted one of the largest, most transparent, and technology-driven recruitment drives in the country,' UP Police wrote. Over the last eight years, Uttar Pradesh has given government jobs to nearly 8.5 lakh people. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Notification issued for civil defence units in all 75 U.P. districts
Now, all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh will have civil defence units. The decision comes days after ceasefire between India and Pakistan post April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which 26 tourists were gunned down by militants. The state government on Thursday issued a notification expanding ambit of civil defence units from existing 24 districts to all 75 districts. The government has also directed civil defence units to assist local administration in carrying out other important tasks, including sanitation, pulse polio, campaign against pollution, blood donation and during natural and human-made disasters. The Union government in 2010 had passed the Civil Defence (Amendment) Act, 2009, to bring calamities within the ambit of civil defence. In another notification, the government paved way for opening of offices of civil defence corps in all districts of the state. Till date, only 15 districts have such units. Now, all 75 districts will have civil defence corps (after 1962). Necessary directions about post creation, giving charge of deputy controller, budget will follow for 60 districts. As district magistrates are the controllers as per the Civil Defence Act, DMs are in charge now. This expansion aims to enhance preparedness, ensure swift emergency response, and build a more resilient security framework across the state for all kinds of emergency situations. Implementation of the civil defence system in all districts will not only strengthen the state's security infrastructure but also provide employment opportunities and enhance citizen safety, said the state government. The civil defence system helps build community resilience and enables citizens to respond effectively during crises. It is important to note that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the Centre remains vigilant about national security. Aligning with this focus, the state government has made civil defence a key component of the state's security strategy. The primary objective is to safeguard citizens during emergencies and ensure efficient relief operations during times of crisis.
India Today
27-05-2025
- General
- India Today
How Operation Sindoor prompted air raid siren revamp in Mumbai and beyond
Air raid sirens, which once acted as sentinels of Mumbai and its surroundings, are set to be revived in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan after the terror attack in Pahalgam last state has 492 air raid siren points in all—311 in Mumbai, 85 in Pune, 33 in Nashik, 21 in Tarapur, 16 in Raigad and 26 in Thane. These were installed in phases after the 1962 India-China war, as per central government guidelines, and came in handy for sounding air raid warnings during the wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. Even later, the sirens would be sounded at 9 am every of these public sirens, including some in Mumbai, are now dysfunctional. The centrally-operated system gradually went into oblivion after 2004 due to technological obsolescence. The torrential rain-triggered flooding of the Mumbai region in 2005 also damaged some underground cables that connected these sirens. The last time the air raid sirens were sounded was in July 2006 to pay tributes to the victims of serial bomb blasts in suburban trains in technological obsolescence has meant each siren is to be operated manually, and the decentralised nature of these operations made it difficult for government agencies to verify if these civil defence sirens, especially those in non-governmental premises, were working. However, some sirens installed on government buildings such as Cross Maidan and the Directorate office at Kalaghoda are tested On May 7, the union home ministry had issued an advisory to all states and Union territories for undertaking mock drills. This included the operationalisation of air raid sirens. Sources said that only 50 to 60 sirens in Mumbai were found to be working, and of the 492 sirens in the state, around 50 per cent were sirens are now being revived as part of efforts to sound emergency alerts and prepare for a war-like scenario in the future. Yogesh Kadam, Maharashtra minister of state for home, told INDIA TODAY that the government had sought a proposal from the Directorate of Civil Defence for upgrade of these sirens. 'This is an old system and we will upgrade it,' he Kumar, director general of police and director of civil defence, Maharashtra, said they were working on reviving and strengthening the existing sirens in Mumbai and the coastal districts of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. Newer sirens were also being installed in the legacy network.'On the instructions of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state government has provided funds as per the provisions of the Civil Defence Act, 1968, and Disaster Management Act, 2005 We will have a minimum of 100 sirens in good condition in Mumbai, and in vital areas like Uran and Tarapur,' said stated that procurement of these sirens and their installation were underway. Apart from bolstering the traditional sirens, the directorate is also planning to procure and install a state-of-art system in the Tarapur, located around 130 km from Mumbai in Palghar district, has a nuclear power plant—the Tarapur Atomic Power Station—Uran in Raigad district is located in proximity to sensitive installations such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation plant and a gas thermal power station operated by the Maharashtra State Power Generation officials said that using air raid sirens came with its own set of challenges in a heavily built-up city like Mumbai, where much had changed since the times these sirens had been originally installed. 'The highrise buildings in Mumbai act as sound barriers for traditional sirens. The glass faade on these buildings does not allow the sound to penetrate deep. The ambient noise in the city is also high,' an official civil defence mechanism has its roots in the 'Air Raid Precaution Committee', which was established in August 1937 in the run-up to World War II. In October 1939, air raid precaution wardens were enrolled for the first time in Bombay. In October 1941, air raid precaution was redesignated as civil to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
2.7k from 9 cities to undergo training for civil defence prep
Raipur: In the wake of heightened security awareness following 'Operation Sindoor', the Chhattisgarh govt is set to ramp up its civil defence infrastructure. After initial implementation in Durg-Bhilai, eight more cities will be designated as Civil Defence Districts, including Raipur, Korba, Raigarh, Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, Ambikapur, Janjgir-Champa, Dhamtari, and in police headquarters said that a decision has been taken to designate nine cities as 'Civil Defence Districts' for defence preparedness in the state.A total of 2,700 volunteers will be trained across these districts, with 300 volunteers per district. They will undergo a two-day specialized training program, equipping them with skills to respond effectively during emergency or war-like training will be repeated annually, and their records will be updated every Civil Defence Act, 1968, which guides this initiative, is also acknowledged under the United Nations Charter. In 2009, the scope of the Act was expanded to include disaster management. Initially, civil defence operations were limited to Bhilai, but later, the entire Durg district was included. The decision was made during a high-level meeting on Sunday, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Manoj Pingua, with participation from DGP Arundev Gautam and other senior officials from the Home Guard and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).Volunteers will take part in mock drills and annual reviews, with district collectors overseeing recruitment and preparedness activities. Additionally, the Centre has instructed all 33 districts of Chhattisgarh to install warning sirens, with each district receiving 4 to 5 units. These will be managed by SDRF for rapid emergency state had earlier designated Raipur, Korba, Rajnandgaon, and Sukma as pilot districts for training 1,200 'Disaster Mitras' (Disaster Volunteers). The state govt now plans to hold annual pre-monsoon sessions for them, including skill refreshers and disaster response strategies.
