National Cadet Corps, is the cadet corps wing of the Indian armed forces and the
largest uniformed volunteer organisation in the world. It is a training program which is open for school and college students to join voluntarily. This tri-services organisation is engaged in grooming patriotic citizens by teaching to follow a disciplined life. The training is for a duration of three years and in this course of time, basic military training is imparted to the students, offering a platform for those who aspire to join the Indian Defence Services. On fulfilling a minimum of 75% of the NCC training, the students are accorded certificates which also help them in their career. Further, the candidates with the certificate of service are given some relaxation during the army selection process.
To put it in a nutshell, NCC aims to ‘create an organised, trained and motivated youth’. Apart from military training the NCC curriculum also places emphasis on leadership and personality development, social awareness, community development, disaster management, adventure training, personality development, health and hygiene, environmental awareness and conservation and so on. This youth organisation instils leadership skills, social responsibility and patriotism in the young.
Defence services have traditionally been perceived as a male-dominated domain. The NCC
seeks to change this perception by promoting women empowerment and gender sensitivity
through its various initiatives. The organisation seeks to inculcate a secular outlook, a sense of comradeship and dedication to duty in men and women cadets alike. The presence of women in the armed forces is considerably low and NCC plays a significant role in inspiring the girl cadets to pursue the career options open in the Armed Forces and to serve the nation.
Women In NCC
After NCC was established in 1948, the Girl Division of the NCC was raised in 1949.
While addressing the annual Republic Day camp in Delhi last year, DG NCC Lieutenant
General Gurbirpal Singh, remarked that the participation of girl cadets is increasing every
year and has almost doubled in the last one decade. In his address, he stated that the ratio of women which stood at 13% in 2010 has jumped to 35% in 2020. He also noted that some states like Delhi, Kerala and north eastern states have shown impressive trends and some even have 50% girl cadets. A rise in the number of women cadets will reflect an increase in women in central security as has happened in the last decade.
Initiatives
NCC holds camps, debates, symposiums and other activities at various levels to engage the
cadets and offer them exposure. Institutional training exposes the cadets to a ‘regimental way of life’ while camp training allows for application of the theoretical knowledge gained from institutional training. NCC conducts around 1400 camps annually, which include leadership camps, Thal Sainik Camps, Nau Sainik Camps, Vayu Sainik Camps and Rock Climbing Training Camps. Annual Republic Day camps, attachment training, youth exchange programme, adventure-based learning and sports events are other initiatives which encourage cadet engagement and teach them the values of duty, discipline, punctuality, worth ethos, orderliness and confidence.
This also gives them better exposure and opportunity to bond with fellow cadets from diverse backgrounds. For instance, in 2022, NCC Tezpur University Cadets launched a campaign under Social Service and Community Development (SSCD) activities on women’s empowerment, gender equality, and anti-dowry. Under this, they sought to address the issues relating to dowry and made the villagers aware of its consequences, solutions and government schemes.
Women’s helpline numbers, the Assam Police Women’s Helpline, NGOs and the state’s government’s charter on programmes for women’s and girl’s development were also distributed among the female listeners. Such initiatives undertaken by the NCC cadets at the grassroots level are praise-worthy.
The relentless efforts of NCC to ensure gender parity is not limited to women’s day
celebrations. It conducts self-defence classes for women, webinars and other programmes to address social issues pervading in the society and spread awareness on the same. NCC also has women-only battalions which help foster a supportive environment, break stereotypes and offer focused training and mentorship. It has also introduced a buddy-pair system, wherein two cadets are paired together to build a sense of camaraderie, to enhance teamwork and mutual responsibility. This not only strengthens the bonding between girl cadets but also encourages them to strive for excellence and compete for good.
Anagha, a woman cadet, who has been associated with Stephen’s College NCC Coy for the
past three years says, “As soon as one puts on the uniform, one feels a wave of pride swaying from within. It makes us feel like in the Army and there’s no bigger empowerment than that feeling of pride and patriotism it instils’. She also added that the magic of the uniform is such that one forgets all other ailments as soon as one puts it, bracing oneself for the day’s mission.
Challenges and Way Ahead
Though we entered the 21st century 24 years back, there are still gender stereotypes lingering in the society. Many do not encourage girls to join these organisations that demand strong commitment and discipline. Yet others want their children to limit themselves to academics and do not always approve of commiting to such extra-curricular activities. Parents must come out of this mindset and encourage their children, girls in particular, to take this not only for the job prospects NCC promises but also because of the values it imparts.
NCC can also address few of the infrastructural challenges by ensuring safety of girl cadets, equal access to resources and opportunities and appointing more female instructors. Often, a girl cadet who generally performs well might lag behind during the camp selection process because of health reasons, say menstruation. This might hinder her from availing opportunities that cadets often look forward to. Though addressing these might prove difficult, flexible camp scheduling and health support during camps are some options NCC can consider.
Albeit, NCC shapes the women leaders of tomorrow by empowering them through equal
opportunities, enhancing physical and mental resilience and inculcating the values of
discipline and integrity.
