'NCC to have 2 lakh new vacancies soon'

Nagpur, Oct 10 (UNI) The National Cadet Corps (NCC) will soon have two lakh new vacancies so that more youngsters are accommodated in what is probably the only youth organisation of its kind in the world, NCC Director General (DG) Lt Gen Prakash S Chaudhary said today.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the passing-out parade of the pre-commission courses at the NCC Officers Training Academy (OTA) at Kamptee, near here, Lt Gen Chaudhary said NCC had 13 lakh cadets in its 17 directorates across the country at present.

The number was planned to be increased to 15 lakh, and this was expected to be done ''very soon'', he said.

There was a long waiting list of five lakh students wanting to join the NCC, and the additional vacancies would help clear part of it, Lt Gen Chaudhary said. With 12,000 Associate NCC Officers (ANO's) and a presence in every state and in 608 districts in the country, the NCC was probably the only youth organisation of its kind in the world, he said.

Lt Gen Chaudhary said the NCC had decreased the tenure of the Senior Division from four (3+1) years to three (2+1) years, which would help train one lakh extra cadets every year.

The NCC had decided to employ retired defence officers on contract basis to train and guide the cadets as the Army, Navy and Air Force were not able to depute sufficient number of officers to NCC because of the shortfall in the wings themselves, Lt Gen Chaudhary told reporters.

''We have started three new initiatives to groom the cadets - career counselling, personality development and soft skills training. As many as 300 NCC officers have been trained so far to impart career counselling to the cadets. There is a 21-day personality development course. The soft skills training imparts instruction in interview techniques and overcoming examination blues, among other things,''he said.

''The youth gives direction to the country and need to be trained on the path of discipline, integrity and happiness, so that they take the nation forward. We want to guide them,'' he added.

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