Shillong, July 25: National Cadet Corps (NCC) Director General, Lieutenant General, Vinod Vishisht on Tuesday visited the Directorate North Eastern Region here and addressed NCC cadets at Rhino Auditorium here.

Speaking to media persons, Vishisht said that by 2020, the NCC would get more than one lakh youth from the Northeast.

The strength of NCC in the Northeast at present is around 89,000 cadets.

He said that despite remoteness, and terrains, the NCC would make its efforts to reach out to more people in the Northeast, and do things to help them become better citizens of the country and leaders.

Vishisht also stressed the need to train NCC cadets to be ready to rise to the call of service of the nation, be it during national disasters like flood and landslide and other natural calamities.

He also informed that in the Northeast, not a single educational institute has introduced NCC as an elective subject.

In the country, he said, only 49 colleges have already taken NCC as elective subject, and urged state governments in the Northeast to take the initiative to introduce NCC as elective subjects in educational institutes.

The NCC elective course imparts strategic, military and policy-based education to students, helping them choose a career in defence services. Apart from regular training, the cadets will be trained in personality development and communication skills. NCC is the Indian military cadet corps where school and college students can join on a voluntary basis. It is a tri-services organisation, comprising the army, navy and air force, engaged in grooming the youth of the country into disciplined and patriotic citizens.

The NCC Director General also said that out of 108 districts in the Northeast, around eight districts have not received adequate attention due to remoteness and lack of educational institutions.

Vishisht said that these districts include one in Meghalaya, three in Arunachal Pradesh, and four in Manipur.

“Our role is to train the youth well on national integration, value system and the feeling of patriotism. I am sure, each cadet of NCC touches the lives and inspired many more youth,” Vishisht said.

He also informed that air units of the NCC in the Northeast would get new aircrafts including hydroplane, and the flying operation would commence after monsoon.
The NCC has its air squadrons in Tezpur, Guwahati, Imphal, Dimapur, and Jorhat.

According to Vishisht, old equipments would be also replaced within one year at the naval units in Sibsagar and Guwahati.