Defence Minister lauds role of NCC cadets during Op Sindoor

Addressing the NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the youth ‘Abhimanyu’ — a character from Mahabharata, who knew how to emerge victorious from every trap.

Calling the youth to draw inspiration from NCC cadets, the minister said, in times of uncertainty, the youngsters of a country should remain physically, mentally and emotionally strong to take on challenges.

He lauded the vital role of NCC cadets in raising public awareness when mock drills were conducted across the country during Operation Sindoor.

Calling them the second line of defence, Singh said: “The armed forces destroyed terrorists based in Pakistan, which was a befitting reply to the unfortunate and cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Our soldiers acted with courage and restraint. We targeted and destroyed only those who hurt us, not anyone else,” he said.

He added that the NCC instilled discipline and patriotism in cadets, while helping them to overcome the problem of “lack of focus”.

Singh said, in the present era when people wanted to acquire everything instantly, NCC taught patience, continuity and focus, which were requisites for life’s big battles, the nation’s great responsibilities, and character-building.

Underlining the role of NCC in nation-building, the minister asserted that many people trained by the NCC had made significant contributions to the country’s development.

“Param Vir Chakra awardees Captain Manoj Pandey and Captain Vikram Batra were NCC cadets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I, too, were cadets…During the 1965 and 1971 wars, NCC cadets were deployed as the second line of defence. This shows the important role the NCC has played in every sector,” he said.

As part of the event, an investiture ceremony was held, wherein cadets were awarded with the Raksha Mantri Padak and

commendation cards.

This year, the Raksha Mantri Padak was conferred on cadet Arpun Deep Kaur of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh Directorate and cadet Palden Lepcha of West Bengal and Sikkim Directorate.

Commendation cards were presented to Petty Officer Lisha Dejappa Suvarna of Karnataka and Goa Directorate, Junior Under Officer Pavan Bhagel of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Directorate, Corporal Radha Dorjee of North Eastern Region Directorate, and cadet Prince Singh Rana of Uttarakhand Directorate.