Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired the first Governing Council Meeting of the National Cadet Corps Alumni Association (NCCAA) at South Block, New Delhi. Addressing the delegation, the Defence Minister described the NCC as “a platform that presents an ideal for the youth of the country.”
He termed former NCC cadets as strong pillars of India who are contributing to the nation’s development across diverse fields — not passively, but as active drivers of change.
“We need to include the guidance of our former cadets to accelerate the goal of national development,” he said, expressing confidence that the NCCAA will provide new energy and direction to the NCC.
Singh also exhorted the NCC to spread the values and qualities of its cadets to a larger section of the population under the spirit of NCC Plus.
“NCC instills these values in the youth who are associated with it. Our effort should be to ensure that these values reach even those who could not join the NCC,” the Defence Minister said.
He further highlighted that the NCCAA can play an active role in nation-building efforts through programmes such as Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Swachhta Abhiyan, and various community development and social service schemes, which have the potential to impact a large segment of the population.
Lauding the NCC for its significant contribution to the all-round development of the youth, he said, “In the true spirit of its motto ‘Unity & Discipline,’ the NCC has always been committed to national unity and nation-building. It has helped lakhs of youth, including students from remote areas, to become disciplined and motivated.”
The NCCAA is a flagship association of NCC alumni, aimed at carrying forward the work of the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation by bringing together former and current cadets under one umbrella and enhancing their participation in the nation-building process.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first registered member of the association, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is the second.
The meeting was attended by Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Department of Education) Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (Department of Youth Affairs) Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence Dipti Mohil Chawla, DGNCC Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh, Joint Secretary (Training) Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma, CEO LD Remedial World Bala Saraswathy Nair, and Secretary, NCCAA Col Gagan Sharma.
—IANS