40% girl cadets in NCC, phase-wise expansion planned; 2 bands from Corps to take part in Parade

New Delhi: The strength of girl cadets in the NCC has risen to 40 per cent and a phase-wise expansion has been planned for the Corps in the next few years, senior officials said on Friday.

At a press briefing here, NCC Director General Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh shared details about the ongoing NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment and the future course of the Corps.

A total of 2,361 NCC cadets from across the country are taking part in the month-long camp which began on December 30. The annual event will witness the participation of 917 girl cadets, the largest so far.

Out of 2,361 NCC cadets, 114 are from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and 178 from the northeast region.

Late in a statement issued by the defence ministry, the DG was quoted as saying that nearly 135 cadets from 18 friendly countries will also participate in the camp under a Youth Exchange Programme.

"We began it with a Sarva Dharma Pooja for well-being of all... This year we also have a new category of competition -- ideas and innovation," he said.

Asked about the expansion plan and the strength of girl cadets in the NCC, the top official said, the sanctioned strength of the Corps is 20 lakh, and the current strength at present is 17 lakh.

The share of girl cadets in the total strength is 40 per cent, he said.

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Another official said the strength of girl cadets has risen manifold in the last 10 years, and a phase-wise expansion has been planned for the NCC.

The official said "four bands" have been shortlisted from all over India to participate in the NCC R-Day Camp.

These four bands are from Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, Pilani (Rajasthan Directorate of the NCC), Scindia School (Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Directorate), Mizo High School (NER Directorate), and Newman College (Kerala & Lakshadweep Directorate), he said.

"Two bands out of these four would be selected to participate in the Republic Day Parade. The selection process is, however, not yet complete. Among the two bands that would be selected to participate in the parade, one band will be an all-girl band," he added.

Bands from Birla Balika Vidyapeeth and Newman College are all-girl bands. Mizo High School band is a mixed band, while Scindia School has an all-boy band, the official said.

The Republic Day Camp serves as a platform to offer cadets opportunities to train and engage in cultural activities and participate in social service initiatives.

During his briefing the NCC DG also shared some powerpoint slides detailing the journey of the Corps over the last one year.

One of the slides were related to some of the mountaineering expeditions undertaken by the NCC cadets in the past, including to "Mt Kang Yatse II (6,250m) -- team of 24 cadets" and "Mt Abi Gamin (7,335m) -- team of 34 cadets."

The slide also mentioned that the NCC has planned an expedition to the Mt Everest -- the world's highest peak -- later this year during April-June.

.NCC cadets illness incident: Dehydration, not food poisoning, says inquiry. "We began it with a Sarva Dharma Pooja for well-being of all... This year we also have a new category of competition -- ideas and innovation," he said.

Asked about the expansion plan and the strength of girl cadets in the NCC, the top official said, the sanctioned strength of the Corps is 20 lakh, and the current strength at present is 17 lakh.

The share of girl cadets in the total strength is 40 per cent, he said.

"We already had our expansion in Jammu and Kashmir, we had four battalions raised last year. We are expanding by three lakh strength more all over the country, proportionately....And, for this expansion, we are hiring ex-servicemen...for training," the DG NCC told PTI on the sidelines of the briefing.