NCC Full Form - National Cadet Corps Introduction, History & More

NCC Full Form: The full form of NCC is the National Cadet Corps. It is the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces and enrolls students from schools, colleges, and universities and offers military training in physical fitness, discipline, leadership skills, and various other important values in the youth. Learn all about the NCC, its history, motto, aim, and core values in the article below.

The NCC Offers a wide range of activities grouped into five different categories. These include Annual Training camps, weapon Training, Aviation, Sea Training, and visits to Military Colleges like the Indian Military Academy (IMA), and Officers Training School. Along with this the candidates also participate in community development initiatives like adult literacy programs, drug addiction awareness campaigns, tree planting drives, blood donation camps, visits to nursing homes, and AIDS awareness rallies. Additionally, new adventure sports like mountaineering, parasailing, scuba diving, automobile and motorbike rallies, and heritage tours have been added to the curriculum to enrich the cadets' experience.

You May Also Check: SSC Full Form

What is NCC?

NCC stands for the National Cadet Corps. The NCC is headquartered in New Delhi and works as a non-profit organization (NPO). It is the world's most well-renowned uniformed youth organization that offers military training in physical fitness, discipline, leadership skills, integrity, adventure, military, and community development. It is fast establishing itself as a major source of recruitment of officers in the military. NCC supplies 25% of the cadets who are now receiving officer training at the Officer Training Academy (OTA), the Indian Military Academy (IMA), and the National Defence Academy (NDA). The percentage is substantially high among female cadets.

The NCC is a tri-services organization that comprises of Army, Navy, and Air Wing dedicated to instilling discipline and patriotism among the country's youth population. During their time at NCC, the cadets receive basic military training. Officers and cadets, on the other hand, are not required to serve in the military once they completed the training. 

During the conflicts of 1965 and 1971, the NCC Cadets served as the second line of defence and established camps to assist the ordnance factories in delivering weapons and ammunition to the front line. The NCC cadets were also used to apprehend the enemy paratroopers.

Along with this, the civil defence officers also worked with NCC. They were actively involved in the rescue and traffic control efforts. After 1971, the NCC syllabus was revised to focus on leadership skills and developing officer-like qualities. The quantity of military training that the NCC cadets undergo has also been reduced. 

Also Read about the UPSC IAS Exam

NCC's Organization & Structure

The NCC is headed by a Director General and has its main office in New Delhi. The Army, Navy, and Air Force make up this tri-service organization, and the NCC has 17 directorates in total spread across the nation. The Brigadiers or their own cognates are in charge of these directorates. Along with this NCC has 3 different certificate types: A, B, and C out of which Certificate C is the most sought-after certification. The C certification offers various benefits like a set quota in national defence, NCC special admission, and a number of other tests that provide points for a 'C' certification. The NCC Cadets are chosen voluntarily and include high schoolers, college, and university students from across the nation.

A Brief History of NCC

The NCC has a pretty rich history. The first form of NCC was organized by Brigadier M.L. Rawat, in 1948, the year after independence. He then conferred the title of Father of NCC. The title was awarded to him by the then Defence Minister (DM) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. During war time, the NCC cadets can be called up to serve with the military under a special agreement between the Ministry of Defence and State Governments. Since its Independence in 1947, India has faced various border disputes with China and Pakistan leading to a series of localized conflicts. This led to using the Indian Armed Forces and the NCC has played a crucial rule by supplying arms to the armed forces and and holding national defence preparedness drills for its cadets. 

The NCC Act of 1948 formalized its existence, establishing the framework for its growth & impact. refer to the table below to understand the complete NCC timeline at a glance.

NCC Major Highlights

Candidates can review the major highlights of the NCC in the table below. The below parameters have been discussed at length in the article at a later stage.

NCC Motto

The NCC's Motto and its evolution have been significant aspects of its identity. During the11th major Advisory Conference (CAC) on 11th August 1978, various taglines were considered for the NCC Motto. These taglines were:

• Duty and Discipline
• Duty, Unity, and Discipline
• Duty and Unity
• Unity and Discipline

Ultimately on the 11th of October 1980, the NCC decided on its final Motto, and the Motto is “Unity and Discipline”. Living true to its mission it serves as a unifying force of the country bringing the youth together from all across the nation, and forming them into disciplined, secular, and unified citizens.

NCC's Three Aims

The three ‘Aims’ of NCC were laid out in the year 1988 and have stood the test of time. They continue to meet the requirements expected of it in the current socio-economic scenario of the country. It aims to imbibe the qualities of brotherhood, honesty, integrity, secularism, and decision-making. These 3 powerful NCC Aims are:

• To develop character, comradeship, discipline, leadership, spirit of adventure, secular outlook, and selfless service amongst the youth of the nation
• To create a human resource of motivated, organized, and trained youth to provide leadership in all walks of life
• To create a suitable environment for the youth to join the defence forces

The NCC Training is not just Physical Training but also includes mental and spiritual training to help the cadets in becoming future leaders.

NCC Primary Values and Ideologies

Guided by its motto of Unity and Discipline, the NCC aims to shape young individuals into cohesive, disciplined, and inclusive citizens who contribute to the strength and progress of the nation as a whole. To make this aim more impactful, the NCC works on certain ideologies and principles. These NCC Ideologies and NCC primary values have been discussed below.

NCC Ideologies

There are four basic ideologies that NCC follows sincerely. These ideologies are listed below for reference of the candidates.

• Obey with a smile
• Be punctual
• Work hard and without fuss
• Make no excuses and tell no lies 

NCC Primary Values

NCC's actions are guided by its core values. These values have been listed below.

• Respect for the nation's variety in terms of religion, language, and culture
• Substance addiction and other undesirable behaviors are prohibited by a healthy lifestyle
• Sensitive to the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged people
• Honesty, sincerity, sacrifice, and labor of love
• Respect the thoughts, wisdom, and expertise
• Respect for the Indian Constitution and dedication to helping the country grow
• The capacity to participate in social and community development initiatives

NCC Training & Certifications

National Cadet Corps is the name of a training course. Any student is welcome to take the course and the choice to choose NCC is voluntary. The Indian Armed Services' NCC branch is referred as the Military Cadet Corps. The training course is available for all students from school to university and the course lasts for 3 years. 

Under the NCC training, candidates undergo basic military training, and the main purpose is to pique their curiosity about the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The major advantage of the NCC Certificate and training is that it allows some relaxation during the Indian Army Selection Process. Throughout this curriculum, the students are taught how to live a disciplined life. It must be noted that the students receive an NCC certificate based on their level after participating in at least 75% of the NCC training. 

NCC Credentials and certifications have a number of advantages but only a few students are aware of them. The NCC Certifications and their detailed explanation has been tabulated below for easy reference.

Benefits of NCC Membership & Certifications

The NCC Certifications have a valuable impact on the candidates. It helps in strengthening the Interpersonal Skills of the students, and the major benefit lies in the NCC Certification as discussed above, which is awarded upon the successful completion of the NCC Training. The NCC program is advantageous to join the Indian-Armed Forces, but it is important to note that joining the Indian Army after the completion of the program is not mandatory.

The NCC Certifications play a pivotal role not only in the military and public sectors but are also highly recognized as valuable assets by various private organizations and businesses. Including an NCC Certification, especially the NCC C Certification on your CV or Resume can reflect positively on your character and can contribute positively to your professional growth and life.

NCC Official Flag

The NCC Flag was introduced across all its units in 1951. This flag was meticulously designed to align with the design, pattern, and size identical to those used by the different regiments of the Army. The sole distinction lay in the incorporation of the NCC badge and unit designation positioned at the center of the flag. However, it was later realized that the flag should mirror the inter service essence of the corps. Therefore, in 1954 a pivotal transformation occurred in the existing tricolour flag. The tricolour represents the profound connection between the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The Red colour signifies the Indian Army, the Indigo or Dark Blue colour signifies the Indian Navy, and the Light Blue colour signifies the Indian Air Force. Within the heart of the flag, in the center, the Golden letters NCC stand in tandem with the NCC Crest enfolded in the elegant wreath of lotus. This colour scheme imparts a beautiful aesthetic to the flag, and also imparts a unique and recognizable identity.

NCC Full Form & Related Terms

*Image Courtesy - Exporters India