INDIA: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the strength of students joining the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will be increased by nearly 60,000 in the state to encourage more students to join the force and work towards nation-building.
At present, 1.25 lakh students have enrolled with the NCC in Maharashtra, and more facilities will be made available so that desirous aspirants receive good-quality training, Shinde assured NCC Director General Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh during a meeting on Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh, during his two-day visit to Mumbai, called on different establishments and interacted with officials and staff. He was given a Guard of Honour at the NCC Directorate, located in South Mumbai, by NCC Cadets of the 6 Maharashtra Battalion.
He was briefed by Major General YP Khanduri, Additional Director General of the NCC Directorate Maharashtra, on the activities and the future expansion plan of the NCC in Maharashtra. He was also briefed by the seven group commanders from Amravati, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai “A,” and Mumbai “B.”
The general also interacted with senior Army and Naval officers in the HQ Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat Areas and the HQ Western Naval Command.
On Wednesday morning, the DG NCC took part in the “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan” a beach cleaning activity at Girgaon Chowpatty in South Mumbai, along with 250 NCC Cadets. Later, he interacted with over 500 cadets, Associate NCC Officers (ANOs), (the ANOs are members of the teaching staff of colleges or schools who are motivated to undertake the task of nurturing the youth), Permanent Instructor Staff (PI staff), and Principals and Vice Chancellors of local colleges at the iconic Mumbai University Convocation Hall.
He felicitated selected ANOs, PI staff, civilian staff, and NCC cadets. A pledge to save the environment was also taken by all those present on the occasion.
A scholarship of Rs 3,00,000 was also announced for NCC cadets at the event by Captain AD Manek of The Skyline Aviation Club, who was a former NCC cadet.
The DG NCC complimented the officers, permanent instructor staff, civilian staff (centre and state), and NCC cadets on the commendable performance of NCC Directorate Maharashtra and exhorted them to continue the good work.
It may be recalled that the Maharashtra NCC directorate won the prestigious PM’s Banner at Republic Day camp 2023 for the second year in a row.
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