In five years, strength of girls in NCC increases by over 5%

The number of girls in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) has gone up by over five per cent in the past five years, while the overall increase in the strength of the organisation has increased by 6.3 per cent during this period.

In 2021, girls formed 35.50 per cent of the NCC’s strength, which went up to 40.68 per cent in 2025, according to information placed by the Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Sethi in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The total number of cadets enrolled in 2021 was 14,64,727, which increased consistently in the succeeding years, touching 15,58,199 in 2025, the minister said in response to a question by Member of Parliament, Dr Bhola Singh.

The present strength of girls in NCC is 6,33,804, out of which 2,82,579 are in the Senior Wing, that is students from colleges and universities, and 3,51,225 are in the Junior Wing, that is those studying in schools.

Further, as part of the organisation’s expansion during the last five years, a total of four NCC units have been raised in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Measures being taken to encourage participation of girls in NCC include upgradation of the training infrastructure, standardisation of the NCC curriculum and drill modules to ensure equal training opportunities for girls, increased induction of women associate NCC officers (ANOs) and permanent commissioned officers, and mandatory presence of women ANOs, women officers, women instructors and women medical staff at NCC campuses.

Functioning under the Ministry of Defence, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) was raised in 1948 as a second line of defence and to inculcate qualities of leadership, discipline, adventure and camaraderie in the youth.

A Tri-service organisation having Army, Navy and Air Force wings, with officers and instructional staff drawn from the services, it is the world’s largest voluntary uniformed organisation. Besides basic military training, NCC cadets are regularly exposed to adventure activities and social service.