- First-of-its-kind joint training at Air Force Station Bhuj strengthens whole-of-government readiness
- Armed Forces and Civil Services rehearse disaster response, security drills and forward-area coordination
- Initiative held on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions to boost national crisis preparedness
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JAN 23
In a significant step towards strengthening civil–military synergy, the Indian Air Force successfully conducted the first-ever ‘Sanyukt Prashikshan’ joint training programme between the Armed Forces and Civil Services at Air Force Station Bhuj, in Gujarat.
Held on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the pioneering initiative marked a new milestone in India’s efforts to enhance integrated national preparedness and whole-of-government response mechanisms for complex security and disaster-related challenges.
Bridging Institutions, Building Readiness
The joint training programme brought together personnel from the Armed Forces and officers from various domains of the Civil Services, providing a rare platform for inter-institutional engagement and operational familiarisation.
Over the course of the training, participants undertook a wide range of practical and scenario-based exercises, including security drills, tabletop exercises, disaster response simulations, coordination rehearsals, and familiarisation visits to forward area units.
These exercises were designed to simulate real-world contingencies, enabling participants to better understand the roles, capabilities and standard operating procedures (SOPs) of each other’s organisations.
Enhancing Civil–Military Coordination
Officials said the training significantly enhanced mutual trust and operational clarity, helping improve collective readiness to respond swiftly and cohesively to natural disasters, internal security situations and other complex operational environments.
The exposure to operational air force infrastructure and forward deployments also gave civil services officers deeper insight into the challenges faced by the Armed Forces in sensitive and high-risk areas.
A Template for Future Engagements
The successful culmination of Sanyukt Prashikshan is being seen as a template for future joint initiatives, reinforcing India’s evolving doctrine of integrated governance, civil–military cooperation and coordinated national response.
Defence officials indicated that such joint training programmes would play a crucial role in building institutional understanding, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and ensuring swift decision-making during crises.
