Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves NCC expansion plan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to expand the National Cadet Corps in 173 border and coastal districts and induct one lakh students, an official statement said on Sunday.

The scheme involving the major expansion of NCC to meet the aspirations of youth in border and coastal districts was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day on Saturday.

"A total of one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted in the NCC. One-third of the Cadets would be girl Cadets. More than 1,000 schools and colleges have been identified in border and coastal districts where NCC will be introduced," the statement said.

As part of the plan, 83 NCC units will be upgraded (Army 53, Navy 20, Air Force 10) to impart NCC training to the cadets in the border and coastal areas. Army will provide training and administrative support to the NCC units located in the border areas, Navy shall provide support to NCC units in the coastal areas and similarly Air Force will provide support to the NCC units located close to the Air Force stations.

"This will not only provide exposure to the youth of the border and coastal areas to military training and disciplined way of life but will also motivate them to join the armed forces. The NCC expansion plan will be implemented in partnership with the states," the statement added.

In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi had said, "About 173 districts in our border areas, our coastal areas share their boundaries with some or the other nation’s border or coastline. In the coming days, NCC would be extended in those border districts for the youth there. We will train around one lakh new NCC cadets from bordering areas, and we will work towards the idea that amongst those, one-third of them are our daughters."

The border and coastal areas would get trained manpower for disaster management, and the youth would also get skill training for making their career in the armed forces, he had said.