Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to increase the strength of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) by three lakh more cadets to meet the increasing demand from educational institutions across the country. From just 20,000 cadets in 1948, the NCC will now have a sanctioned strength of 20 lakh cadets in its roles making it the largest uniformed youth organisation of the world, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
The expansion plan would involve establishment of four new Group Headquarters and two NCC units. The MoD said the far reaching impact of this expansion will lead to proportionate distribution of vacancies across all States & Union Territories and would reduce the waiting list of institutions aspiring for the NCC.
With NCC being offered as an elective subject as per the National Education Policy 2020, the expansion will be a step towards meeting the aspirations of the youth towards playing a pivotal role as future leaders of the nation, said the Ministry.
The move, observed the Ministry, will lead to employment generation for ex-servicemen as NCC instructors thus leveraging their skills and vast experience. This noble initiative will ensure quality training to the NCC cadets and would generate employment opportunities for the veterans.
According to the MoD, the NCC aims to make a transformative impact, fostering an environment where youth meaningfully contribute towards nation building. The initiative will expand the base of motivated, disciplined and patriotic youth of the ‘Amrit Peedhi’ who will contribute towards achieving the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat,’ it remarked.