NCC plans to train 1 lakh cadets as first responders for natural disasters
Plan also includes drone hubs, 10,000 ‘cyber warriors’ and new traditions for Republic Day Parade
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) plans to train up to one lakh cadets as first responders to assist during natural disasters, NCC Director General Lt Gen Virendra Vats said on Saturday.
The trained cadets will be known as Yuva Apda Mitras and will be linked to a national database so their services can be mobilised whenever required, Lt Gen Vats said while addressing a press conference at Delhi Cantonment.
The NCC has also begun work on setting up four to five hubs across the country where selected cadets will receive specialised training in drone and counter-drone operations, he added.
In addition, the organisation is working on a plan to train 10,000 cadets as “cyber warriors”, who will act as a digital defence force as cyber space increasingly becomes weaponised. These cadets will also be integrated with the national database, the NCC DG said.
Lt Gen Vats further announced that for the first time in NCC history, parade and contingent commanders will march carrying swords during the 2026 Republic Day Parade.
A total of 2,406 NCC cadets, including 898 girls, from across the country are participating in the NCC Republic Day Camp 2026, which began on December 30 at the Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi Cantonment.
