DHNS
Mangalore Dec 10: A combined annual training camp (CATC) is being organised at Karnataka Polytechnic Mangalore from Saturday to December 17.
Camp Commandant Lt Col B Suresh Kumar addressing a news conference on Sunday at KPT premises said that 10 NCC officers and 600 NCC cadets including 178 senior and 54 junior wing girl cadets from 22 educational institutions (12 high schools and 10 colleges) will participate in the training.
Mr Kumar said that since it is not possible to train the NCC cadets at the institutions, annual training camps are being held twice a year wherein all the activities of social service like blood donation, bringing civic awareness by beach cleaning, services to clean villages and streets and participating in community development programmes over 10 to 12 days. The cadets will lead a camp life where they are exposed to basic military training, weapon training, firing, physical training and obstacle training. Apart from this they are also made to take part in adventure activities like trekking and rock climbing.
Mr Kumar said that most of the students who join NCC often join because they want to hold the weapons and want to learn firing.
"We keep in mind this wish of the cadets and they are allowed to do so during these annual camps. All the participants will be allowed to fire pt 22 rifle and over 10 per cent of them will be given 7.62 Self Loading Rifle (SLR) during the camp,” he added.
Helps Defence
He said that Indian armed forces are facing shortage of personnels and NCC, which is a 13 lakh strong organisation helps the India army to get the required personels.
NCC is the only organisation of its kind supported by central Government and respective state Government.
The main objective of NCC has been to inculcate quality of self-discipline, righteousness, espirit-de-corps, character building, courage, comradeship, leadership and ideals of selfless service in youth of our country. Mr Kumar said that it helps in shaping the personality of the students and the annual camps help the cadets get their c-certificate, which is a gate way for new avenues specifically in professional colleges.