An all-girl contingent during at a post-Republic Day NCC rally in New Delhi, on January 27, 2007. (File photo for representation.)
New Delhi: Signifying a major push towards inclusivity and empowering young women, the National Cadet Corps has set an ambitious target of achieving 40 per cent enrolment of girl cadets by next year. The NCC director general, Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh amid preparations for the prestigious NCC Republic Day Camp, on Wednesday.
During an interaction with reporters at the Delhi Cantonment, Lt Gen Singh, while underscoring the NCC’s commitment to gender equality said, “We are witnessing a remarkable surge in girls’ participation, their dedication and commitment are truly inspiring.” This year’s [NCC] Republic Day Camp will be a testament to this progress, with a record-breaking 907 girl cadets showcasing their skills and spirit, a significant jump from 700 last year.
Apart from this, the camp will feature a dedicated women’s contingent leading the NCC parade down New Delhi’s Kartavya Path, replacing the earlier mixed contingent. This will symbolize a powerful message of female leadership and will set a new standard for the NCC’s future.
As India Sentinels reported earlier, on Wednesday, an all-girls band from the northeast will participate in the camp for the first time.
The month-long camp promises to be a vibrant showcase of NCC training, which will see several competitions, like best contingent, best cadet, and horse riding. “This camp captures the essence of everything NCC stands for,” emphasized Lt Gen Singh, highlighting the event's importance in shaping future leaders.
Furthering its global engagement, the NCC will welcome over 300 representatives from 25 friendly nations as part of the Youth Exchange Programme, fostering cultural exchange and understanding. It will see participation from diverse countries, like Argentina, Botswana, Bhutan, Brazil, and Nepal, among others.
Recognizing the need for contemporary training, the NCC is actively revising its syllabus. Lt Gen Singh said the NCC wants to equip its cadets with the latest skills and mentioned the organization’s plans.
He said, “We are in the process of revising the NCC syllabus, which is a continuous process. We want to make this training contemporary, we want to include the latest facets, we are in the process of analysing how we can train cadets on drones, improve life skills, and make the training more contemporary and relevant.”
He also said the organization has incorporated drone training, training in use of GPS and satellite imagery. He said alongside enhancing the cadets’ training experience, the NCC is committed to improving its infrastructure.
He also informed that more NCC cadets were now choosing military careers, with 116 becoming officers and 8,937 Agniveers in the three services, while 1,390 joined the central armed police forces (CAPFs).
