New NCC units to be raised in distressed areas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Nearly 60 per cent of the new NCC units planned in the country will be raised in distressed areas, especially the Maoist-affected states, NCC director general Lieutenant General P S Bhalla has said.Lt Gen Bhalla, who is in the state on a four-day visit, told Express that the centre had sanctioned 60 new NCC units, which would be raised in five phases. Of the 12 units planned in Phase I - which is already underway - seven will come up in Maoist-affected states such as Jharkhand and Chattisgarh and other sensitive areas such as the North-Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.   ‘’This is to ensure that the children in these states stay on the right path and to bring them to the mainstream. We are a secular, patriotic society, but unemployment is the biggest reason for youth going astray,” he said. The NCC step is also in line with the central policy that NCC should focus more on distressed and remote areas of the country.Once all 60 units are raised, the total unit strength of NCC will go up to 788 units nation-wide. In fact, the NCC has been on a recruitment spree this year. 40,000 freshers were added to the total strength of 13 lakh this year alone, Bhalla said. The target is to add two lakh cadets over the next five years.“We have on our rolls today 14,700 schools and colleges. 6,500 schools and colleges are on the waiting-list,” he said.Aiming to provide holistic training to cadets, NCC is planning to revise its curriculum. Seven to eight percent of the curriculum will be revised, laying more emphasis on development of soft skills and moral values. The process is in the final stages. NCC also hopes to increase intake of girls. “Today girl cadets account for 25.50 percent. We hope to immediately increase it to 30 per cent and finally 50 per cent. Of the 12 units in Phase I, five battalions are exclusively for girls,” Bhalla said.Honorary Colonel RanksLt Gen P S Bhalla, who will confer Honorary Colonel rank on Kerala University VC A Jayakrishnan and MG University V C Rajan Gurukkal here on Thursday, said the step is meant to attract youth to the NCC.It is a rare honour. It is meant to inspire and motivate the youth, he said.