New Delhi: The scope of training in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) should be expanded to include space science, cyber expertise and drone applications “to make cadets versatile”, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense has said.
The committee, headed by BJP MP Jual Oram, tabled its report titled ‘Ordnance Directorate (Coordination and Services)-New DPSUs, Defense Research and Development Organization and National Cadet Corps’ in Parliament earlier this week.
The committee said in its report, “…in the opinion of the Committee, it is high time that the training module Expanded/Revised to include Cyber/Computer Expertise, Laser Expertise and Space Science.”
It also noted that cyber crimes are increasing in huge proportion every year and the trained cadets can be used to train the elderly and cyber illiterate population in proper use of cyber applications like banking transactions etc.
“IT skills should also include specific training on drone applications which is the need of the hour. It will not be out of place to recommend that NCC cadets should be linked with specialist institutes to train them on all new forms of training, if required.
The panel asked the government to submit details of the specific project/proposal including details of additional funds required to meet this recommendation from next year.
As per the report, the total budgetary allocation for NCC during the year 2019-20 was Rs 1,631.92 crore while the actual expenditure was Rs 1,595.87 crore. Similarly, against the total outlay of Rs 1,688.60 in 2020-21, Rs 1,512.06 was spent.
The report states, “The Committee notes with glee that during the year 2021-22, the trend has been reversed and NCC has spent Rs 1,685.63 crore, which is almost Rs 35 crore more than the allocation of Rs 1,650.76 crore “
The NCC – established under the NCC Act, 1948 – is the largest uniformed youth organization in the world, with 15,00,744 cadets by January 2023, the report said. It has 17 state directorates covering 28 states and nine union territories, and 98 group headquarters, under which there are 825 units in the country.
(Editing by Anumeha Saxena)