RANCHI, Oct. 22 -- A mass training drive in Ramgarh is turning ordinary citizens into lifesavers. From panchayats and schools to banks and industrial units, thousands across the district are learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid under a campaign led by deputy commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz.

"We started this initiative around four months back, and we have already trained around 150,000 people in the district. We are well on our way to meeting the target of imparting CPR training to at least two lakh persons in the district by the end of December," said Mumtaz on Saturday.

Officials involved in the exercise said the initiative, known as 'Aapda Mitra', has reached people across government offices, banks, schools, co...