From disaster response during Operation Sindoor to shaping disciplined youth at the national level, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) continues to play a pivotal role in nation-building, NCC Director-General Lieutenant General Virendra Vats said on Saturday (January 3, 2026).
Addressing the media, Lt. Gen. Vats highlighted the organisation’s expanding footprint, with NCC units now present in over 90 per cent of the districts nationwide, and emphasised its role in inculcating character, discipline and national integration among youth. He also highlighted the strong and growing participation of girl cadets, who now constitute 40 per cent of the nearly 20 lakh-strong NCC.
He said that during Operation Sindoor, approximately 75,000 NCC cadets assisted the civil administration, providing crucial support, including medical assistance and voluntary blood donation, underscoring the organisation’s operational readiness and social commitment. (India launched the operation against Pakistan on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The conflict ended four days later.)
The NCC Republic Day Camp (RDC) 2026 commenced on a vibrant and ceremonial note at the DG NCC Camp, Delhi Cantonment. A total of 2,406 cadets, including 127 cadets from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and 131 cadets from the north-eastern region, are participating in the camp. Cadets and officers from 25 friendly foreign countries are also taking part under the Youth Exchange Programme.
He noted that in 2025, the NCC organised 1,665 annual training camps, six special National Integration Camps and 33 Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat camps, besides enabling six lakh cadets to participate in the 150-year celebrations of Vande Mataram. The NCC also introduced drone flying training for cadets at four remote pilot training organisations.
Lt. Gen. Vats further highlighted the ongoing initiatives, including a special sailing expedition around 21 uninhabited islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands dedicated to Param Vir Chakra awardees, and cycling expeditions commemorating the legacy of Veer Birsa Munda and Peshwa Bajirao. Additionally, around 94,400 NCC cadets from 315 districts will be trained under the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority by March 2026.
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