Perceived as elementary military training, experts view it as forced conscription via back door
National Cadet Corps (NCC) training in education institutions may become mandatory and part of mainstream education curriculum from the next academic session.
NCC drills have so far remained unattractive in schools and colleges, thanks to lack of incentive and credits attached to it. Massive education burden and voluminous syllabus also drew students away from these extra-curricular activities.
In the Central advisory board of education (CABE) meeting of the Human Resource Development ministry scheduled on Wednesday, the board is likely to discuss and decide on making NCC training mandatory, by including it as part of the elementary curriculum.
Perceived as elementary military training, experts are of the view that making NCC training mandatory among students will be seen as a forced conscription from the back door.
Currently, only 17 schools and 12 colleges have introduced NCC as an elective subject. With education being a subject on concurrent list, introducing it on a large scale – keeping in view the need for trained personnel in combating internal as well as external threats faced by the country – remains a discretion of the states.
The idea of introducing compulsory NCC and NSS in schools and colleges was first mooted by UPA government. In the CABE meeting of 2013, the committee had agreed to introducing NCC and NSS as an elective subjects in classes 11 and 12 in schools. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had also introduced the subject in 30 autonomous colleges from 2013 academic session.
Two years down the line, the government is of the view that restricting these schemes to voluntary practices has failed in making them attractive for students. With schools and colleges giving greater thrust on core subjects, NCC and NSS schemes do not find much takers.
The HRD ministry has observed that since NCC and NSS are elective courses, even the managements remain disinterested in promoting these subjects.
"These training help in character building and teach discipline and leadership qualities to youth. We want more students to enroll in these courses. Bringing NCC and NSS from extra curricular to main stream disciplines will make more students take up these courses," said a senior officer.
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