Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said his ministry would make changes to the charter of the Civil Defence and Home Guards within four months to make it more relevant and useful.

Civil Defence and Home Guards will become irrelevant if their roles are not changed in accordance with the present requirements of the country, Shah said while addressing the 14th All India Conference of Civil Defence and Home Guards here.

"I believe that keeping in mind the requirements of the country today, there is a need to rethink the role of these two organisations to make them more relevant," the minister said.

The changes will be effected in four months, he said, adding that a lot of new things will be added.

".....we will make it relevant and also try to make it useful and work towards bringing a new consciousness, a new life into the movement," Shah said.

If the charter of any organisation is not changed for fifty years, both the organisation and charter become irrelevant, he said.

"India has seen radical changes in the last fifty years. Because of technology, our requirements have changed and the country has gone forward. There may not be any war, but (Civil Defence and Home Guards) can connect with disaster management and traffic management," the Union minister said.

Shah also expressed displeasure with a Supreme Court judgment passed a few years ago where "an attempt was made to link Civil Defence and Home Guards to their income."

"(Their income) should be increased in a timely manner, but the basic sentiment is of service. If we kill this sentiment through a judgement, then this organisation will become almost dead, and a simple job-like work," he said.

As per their present charter, the Home Guards and Civil Defence personnel are required to prepare people for war emergencies, protect civilians, train people to survive the effects of war, instil a mindset for non-violent civil resistance, organise communities and assist in the repair of war-damaged infrastructure and building morale, Shah noted.

The two organisations have done commendable work in disaster management, but their personnel need training and collective mentality and their role in disaster management should be defined in the charter, he said.

The roadmap he has presented is incomplete and he was leaving it for suggestions by the heads of the Civil Defence and Home Guards who were in Gandhinagar to participate in the two-day conference, the minister said.

There should be a proper provision of training for Home Guards and Civil Defence personnel for service during emergency situations, and this should find a place in their charter.

There is a need for an institutionalised system of traffic management, and programmes for social awareness like drug-free India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, tree plantation drive and awareness against social evils should be included in the charter, he said.

Shah also congratulated Home Guards and Civil Defence personnel for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 27 jawans laid their life while serving during the pandemic, he noted.

There should also be a roadmap for them for assisting in local law and order, he added.

They should also help in the education sector by working to reduce the student dropout ratio and improve the quality of education, Shah said, adding that the youth should be encouraged to join these organisations.

"Unfortunately, the service has been connected to income...Like NCC and NSS attract people from all sections of society, Home Guards and Civil Defence should also have representation from all sections of society, and they should become a means of service and development and security of the country," he said.

India's concept of a fully developed nation does not match the ideas of Western countries, the Union minister said.

"In our concept of fully developed nation, India should lead in all spheres. Along with this, we have to achieve development while preserving our values, our traditions, our culture and our languages. And if we have to make this concept a reality, then service and security are two very important points," he said.

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