Dhananjay Mohanty*
The foundation of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) on 16 July 1948 under an Act of Parliament was perhaps the finest event for the student community of India. The aftermath of the Kashmir war in 1948 taught a very important lesson that freedom needs to be protected by a strong Armed Force. It’s immediate manifestation was appointment of Kunzru Committee based on whose recommendations a draft bill was placed before the Constituent Assembly on 13 March 1948 which evoked great interest and enthusiasms amongst all members. After due deliberations and amendments the Bill was passed by the Assembly on April 8, 1948. The Central Government accepted the opinion of the provincial Government for the formation of a Cadet Corps which was to be later named as ‘National Cadet Corps’ as recommended by the Kunzru Committee. The bill received the assent of the Governor General on 16 April 1948 and thus, National Cadet Corps came into being.
Evolution & Growth
The NCC has evolved over the years. Initially NCC Rifles was raised on the lines of an Infantry Battalion but was later amalgamated into normal units. In the after math of Chinese aggression, NCC was made compulsory in 1963 for all students where in the Cadets strength reached 17.16 million. This large strength was later found to be unsustainable and hence voluntary enrolment was recommended in 1969 and is followed till date.
The NCC is a Tri-Service Organisation, headed by a Director General of the rank of Lieutenant General of the Army. There are 17 Regional Directorates controlling the training and administration of NCC units under them with each headed by an Additional Director General or Deputy Director General of the rank of Major General or Brigadier or equivalent ranks of the Navy and Air Force. At present there are 96 NCC Group HQs and 800 units located throughout the country providing NCC coverage to 633 districts.
Today NCC India is the largest volunteer uniformed youth organisation in the world and 13.4 lakh strong. The Government has ordered increase in enrolment to 15 lakhs by the year 2015. Many nations have emulated the Indian model successfully and have regular cadet exchange under the Youth Exchange Programme (YEP). Indeed the sight of proud and smartly turned out NCC cadets marching past the President on Republic Day on the Rajpath brings joy and pride to every Indian and reassures them the bright future and greatness of our nation.
NCC Motto-Unity and Discipline
A persons character is made in the formative years of his life. The young can be compared to wet clay which can be moulded the desired way, provided right training and directions are given. In ancient India young boys stayed with great saints, sages & pundits and specialized in various branches of knowledge. They learnt a lot from each other. They also learnt the art of corporate living and to fend for themselves in inhospitable surroundings. On similar analogy to impart right direction to the youth of our country, enrolment in the NCC takes place at a time when entrants are in their most formative years. At this stage National Cadet Corps plays the role of a friend, philosopher and guide channelizing their immense talent in the right direction and grooming them to become tomorrow’s leaders. The NCC training not only directs their energy into constructive channels but also inculcates in them the traits and qualities of resourcefulness, positive thinking, moral courage and humaneness – so that they can live up to the motto of the NCC, “Unity and Discipline”.
The current aims of the NCC emphasize on harnessing the youth into potential leaders, patriotic citizens who are well motivated to opt for a career in the Armed Forces. Keeping the current aims in view, the training activities of the NCC have been clearly formulated into four broad categories, namely, Institutional Training, Social Service, Community Development Programmes and Youth Exchange Programme.
Facets of Training
Institutional Training is conducted at the college and school levels. This is the mainstay of NCC training and is conducted by Associate NCC officers and Armed Forces personnel drawn from the three services that is Army, Navy and Air Force (under deputation in the NCC).
Camp Training: The aim of this training is to expose the cadets to a regimented way of life. In addition to Annual Training camps, cadets are also sent on national level camps like the Special National Integration camps, National Integration camps and Leaderships Camps etc. where they meet and interact with cadets from all states and Union Territories and have their team and leadership skills.
Social Service & Community Development: Participating in campaigns, like Adult Literacy Promotion, Anti-Polio Drive, Rural Development Trial Project, AIDS Awareness, Tree plantation and Anti-Drug programme etc. aim to inculcate in cadets the moral and social obligations to fellow citizens and to ‘Nation Building’.
Youth Exchange Programme: Selected cadets are given an opportunity to visit foreign countries as their State Guests and as the ‘Brand Ambassadors’ of our nation.
Adventure Based Learning: The cadets are also exposed to a number of adventure activities that enable them to improve their life and leadership skills. Mountain Treks & Expeditions, Parasailing & Jumping, Sailing Expeditions and Micro lite flying are some of the events conducted regularly by the NCC.
Sports: NCC teams regularly excel in National level events like Subroto Cup Football, Nehru Cup Hockey, and National Shooting Championships.
Personality Development: The revised training philosophy of the NCC specifically aims to add value to the cadets’ life skills and enable them to excel in all walks of life.
How NCC Helps
In Defence Services- Vacancies reserved for commission in the three services for NCC ‘C’ certificate holders are as follows:
· Army: At Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun 32 vacancies per course through UPSC and SSB Interview.
OTA Chennai & Gaya- 50 vacancies every year for short service commission in Non – Technical categories. The candidate come through SSB interview only.
· Navy: Six vacancies per course. Selection is through SSB interview. Two years age relaxation for NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders.
· Air Force: 10% of vacancies in all courses including flying training course. Selection through SSB interview.
For Other Ranks (OR), Sailors & Airmen- 5 to 10% bonus marks are awarded for recruitment.
Others
Para-Military Forces Recruitments- 2 to 10% bonus marks are awarded for recruitment.
Deptt. of Telecommunications: Special Bonus marks are awarded for recruitment.
In NCC: Preference is given to ‘C’ certificate Holders for appointment as Civilian Gliding Instructors/Girl Cadet Instructors / whole time lady officers in NCC.
In State Government: Preference for State Services particularly in Police, Admn, Forest, Excise and Transport department.
Scholarships: NCC cadets are eligible for scholarships ranging from Rs 6000/ to Rs 30,000/ through cadet welfare society and Sahara Scholarships.
Sports: Attractive cash awards to teams and individuals for showing excellence in national and international competitions / championships.
The NCC, the largest organised youth force in the world has, over a period of time earned a niche for itself as a unique organisation in ‘ Nation Building’ and grooming the youth of our country. The organisation through its multi-farious innovative training curriculum and conduct of a large number of national integration camps has made invaluable contributions towards achieving national integration. History shows that, over the years the NCC has groomed many a youth into leaders of repute and eminence whose, deeds are worth emulating. The pioneers being Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, former Chief of Air Staff, Gen T. N. Raina and General Deepak Kapoor both former Chiefs of Army Staff, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Admiral Nirmal Verma, former Chief of Naval Staff, Dr. M.S Gill, former Chief Election Commissioner, Ms Jaya Bhaduri MP, noted film actress and best cadet of R. D Camp- 1966 and many more. Realising the crucial role of NCC, Ministry of Human Resources Development, in a pilot project has recently taken decision of introducing NCC as an elective subject in selected undergraduate institutions. This step will definitely give a boost to NCC‘s efforts.
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*PRO, Ministry of Defence.
