59th Raising Day of the National Cadet Corps
National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Services Organization , comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, engaged in grooming the youth of the country into disciplined and patriotic citizens. The origin of NCC can be traced back to the ‘ University Corps’ , which was created under the Indian Defence Act 1917, with the object to make up the shortage of the defence services. In 1920 when the Indian Territorial Act was passed the ‘University Corps’ was replaced by University Training Corps (UTC). In 1942 the UTC was re-christened as the ‘University Officers Training Corps’. The National Cadet Corps came into existence on 15 th July 1948 under the NCC Act XXXI of 1948 under the Ministry of Defence.
The strength of the NCC comprises 4% of the total number of students in the country.
The Girls Division Senior Wing was raised in Aug 1949, when the first Girls Troops were raised at Calcutta , Nagpur and Ludhiana , as Ist Bengal Girls, 2nd Central Provinces and 3rd Punjab Girls NCC Troop respectively. The Junior Wing was raised in 1954 and subsequently grouped into Coys/Bns in other parts of the country.
NCC OffIicers Training Academy (OTA), Gwalior , housed in the erstwhile PRINCES’ PALACE of the Scindias is a premier NCC trg institution to harness ‘ Women Power’. It is the only one of its kind in India and ‘ Alma Mater’ for all Whole Time Lady Offrs ( WTLOs ), Associate NCC Offrs ( ANOs ) and Girl Cadet Instrs ( GCIs ) in the NCC, spread all over the country.
The National Cadet Corps is headed by a Director General, an Army Officer of the rank of Lieutanant General, who is responsible for the functioning of the National Cadet Corps in the country through the National Cadet Corps Headquarters situated at Delhi.
There are 91 Group HQs and 754 NCC Units spread all over India. The supporting Civilian Staff in various grades in these Group Headquarters and Units are provided by the respective State Governments.
Some of the most famous Ex Cadets are Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Jaswant Singh, Lt. M.M. Jacob, Air Marshal Arjan Singh, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, Lt. Gen. A.S. Rao, Lt. Gen. B.K. Bopannna and Kiran Bedi.