Colleges in Jharkhand have started including from this academic year itself the National Cadet Corps (NCC) as an elective subject under the choice-based credit system that allows students to opt for subjects of their choice.

Major General M. Indrabalan, the additional director-general of the Bihar-Jharkhand NCC directorate, said earlier this week that the Jharkhand government had already given consent and the NCC would be introduced as a general elective subject in colleges across Jharkhand.

“In the new education policy, it has been decided to roll out the NCC as a subject to motivate students to join the Corps in order to be disciplined and to instil in them patriotism. Several colleges have already started the NCC General Elective Credit Course from the 2021-2022 academic session. Other colleges will incorporate it from the academic session 2022-2023.

“Students who enrol themselves in the NCC will benefit by obtaining academic credits for NCC training in addition to acquiring the NCC’s “B” and “C” certificates. The subject will also enhance employment opportunities,” Maj. Gen. Indrabalan said.

Till now, NCC training was imparted as an extra-curriculum course and the cadets could get benefits according to the state policies.

The NCC Bihar Jharkhand directorate senior official added that the colleges and schools which have got NCC recognition but are not conducting proper training would be identified and served notices.

“We would be identifying such institutions which are sitting with the recognition of NCC training and not doing training. Such colleges and schools whose performance is not satisfactory will be given notice under the NCC Act, after which action will be taken. The process of appointment of new professors has also been started for training NCC cadets,” Maj. Gen. Indrabalan said. He said the training programme of the naval wing of the Jharkhand NCC had already begun at Patratu near Ramgarh.

“The training programme of the naval cadets has been started in Jharkhand and the training will be given at Patratu. Earlier, the cadets used to be sent to Bihar for naval training. We are also planning to start another naval training centre at Tilaiya (in Koderma). We have already received consent from the state government, including the chief minister (Hemant Soren) in this connection, and we hope to start naval training at Tilaiya Dam soon,” Maj. Gen. Indrabalan said.