Delhi Government to set up modern NCC academy

The NCC Directorate, Delhi, on Friday organised an event near the War Memorial at KG Marg to commemorate 150 years of patriotic song ‘Vande Mataram’. Delhi’s Education Minister, Ashish Sood, as the chief guest at the event, announced a major decision to expand the National Cadet Corps (NCC) network in the city.

“I am pleased to share that the Delhi Government has approved the expansion of NCC in Delhi. We are setting up a modern, state-of-the-art NCC academy. The land allocation process has begun. The academy will not just be a building, but a laboratory of discipline, leadership, and national service — a testament to our government’s commitment to empowering the youth with the best opportunities,” Sood said.

The event was attended by senior NCC officers and cadets from across Delhi. The minister visited an exhibition at the venue that showcased the 150-year journey of ‘Vande Mataram’, highlighting how Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s composition became a rallying cry for India’s freedom movement. Addressing the gathering, Sood said: “Before me stand the youth who represent India’s strength, discipline, and future. When Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Vande Mataram, he gave voice to an India yearning to rise from the darkness of slavery into the dawn of freedom. This song embodied courage, revolution, and unity.”

He added: “In 1905, when 40,000 people raised the slogan ‘Vande Mataram’ at Kolkata’s Town Hall, the world realised that Indians would not bow down easily. Now, 150 years later, as India moves through its ‘Amrit Kaal’, ‘Vande Mataram’ is not just history — it is our mantra for the future.”

Referring to PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address, the minister said: “The Prime Minister rightly said that ‘Vande Mataram’ is a phrase filled with boundless emotion and energy. It reminds us of the blessings of Mother India and our duty toward her. Today, this mantra inspires us to make India a developed nation by 2047.”

Quoting the PM, he added: “If 140 crore Indians take one step every day toward solving one problem, the nation will move 140 crore steps forward in a single day. Likewise, if Delhi’s three crore citizens each take one step daily to resolve the city’s issues, Delhi will move three crore steps forward. And who will lead these steps? You — the youth of Delhi.”

• The Delhi Police on Friday observed the 150th year of the national song, ‘Vande Mataram’, with special singing events in all 15 police districts.

• A central event was held at the Delhi Police Headquarters, where senior officers and police personnel gathered for a rendition of Vande Mataram, in the presence of Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha.

• Simultaneously, police stations across Delhi organised mass singing events, encouraging participation from both police personnel and the general public. Many police stations and community policing cells held events in schools, involving schoolchildren in the celebrations.

  Cops hum tunes of patriotism