What is the full form of NCC? It is the National Cadet Corps. NCC is the Indian military cadet corps. They are a young cadet corps of the Indian Armed Forces, open to school and university students. The incorporation is voluntary.
National Cadet Corps is a Tri-service organization. It comprises Airwing, Army and the Navy’s 814 units. The units are divided into 684 Army, 61 Air and 69 Naval Units with separate girls units. NCC recruits the students from high schools, universities, higher secondary and colleges. Today the strength of NCC is more than 15 lakh of cadets. It is headed by the Director-General(DG), an officer of a 3-star rank. DG is also assisted by 2-star rank Director Generals. The NCC is headquartered in the Capital of India, New Delhi.
GENESIS OF NATIONAL CADET CORPS
The NCC came into being through the Act of parliament called “The National Cadet Corps Act 1948”. The National Cadet Corps was inaugurated on 15 July 1948. It is now the world’s largest youth organization. The motivation for starting NCC came after the Kashmir war in 1948. India realized the need for strong Armed Forces.
The Kunzuru committee’s recommendations were placed before the Assembly and the bill was passed. This bill was later turned into an act in 1948. The committee was formed on 26 September 1946 and this committee carried out exhaustive research. It studied the problems of youth in India and provinces of pre-independent India. It also studied the Youth organizations of France and Great Britain and then it presented its recommendations.
AIMS AND MOTTO OF NCC
The aims of the National Cadet Corps were laid out in 1988. National Cadet Corps aims to develop discipline, character, a secular outlook and comradeship in young Indians. It aims at developing the spirit of self-service amongst young citizens. Further, it also aims at creating organized and motivated youth with leadership qualities which will serve the Nation. They will be contributing towards nation building no matter what career they choose. It provides the environment to motivate young Indians to take a career in the Armed Forces.
The motto of NCC was decided after the Central Advisory Committee meeting. After many suggestions for a motto like “Duty and Discipline”, “Duty and Unity”, finally the “Unity and Discipline” was selected. The motto was taken in the 12th Centra Advisory Committee meeting on 12 October 1980.
The NCC flags were introduced in 1951 for various units and in 1954, the current flag was taken. The colours of the tri-colour flag represent the three services of NCC. The red colour represents the Army, light blue is for the Air Force and deep blue represents the Navy. The NCC crest and letters NCC are encircled by a lotus wreath in the of the flag.
Core Values of NCC
As an organization, the National Cadet Corps continues to evolve, but the activities of NCC are guided by some core values. Some of which are given below-
Understanding the values of hard work, perseverance, honesty, truthfulness and self-sacrifice
Healthy lifestyle free of unhealthy practices and substance abuse
Building habits of self-awareness and restraint
To participate in social programmes like community development
Respect for diversity, instil a sense of social cohesion and National Unity
To encourage cadets to contribute toward national development
Activities
The cadets of the National Cadet Corps are involved in various activities, some of which are laid down below:
Republic Day Camp
Army Attachment Camp
Naval Wing Activities
Air Wing Activities
Vayu Sainik Camps
Overseas Deployment
Youth Exchange Programs
Certifications
There are a total of three certificates in the National Cadet Corps.
A-Certificate: It can be taken by the students of classes 8th and 9th. The cadet must have attended at least 75% of the training of the syllabus for the first and second years. Along with JD/JW, must have attended one Annual Training Camp.
B-Certificate: This certificate can be taken by the SD/SW cadets. It can be taken after the 10th class by those studying in class 12th or college. The conditions are the same as for certificate A.
C-Certificate: The highest level of certificate, it can be taken in the 3rd year of college. But those who have already taken certificate B in class 12 can take it in the first year of college. The candidate must have attended 2 Annual Training camps or one centrally organized camp/international camp along with 1 Annual Training camp.
Conclusion
The National Cadet Corps creates a pool of young citizens with leadership qualities from all walks of life. It helps in developing the citizens with a great personality filled with discipline and problem-solving skills. Being part of NCC helps in building the spirit of patriotism. These people in future will become responsible citizens and contribute to building the Nation. Whether you desire to serve your Nation or just want to gain various skills, NCC is a great organization for the purpose.