The National Cadet Corps (NCC) will get bonus points when it comes to the Agnipath scheme, its Director General Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh informed on Friday, June 24.
It was while speaking at the convocation ceremony of NCC women officers in Gwalior, that he shared that the new scheme for recruitment of soldiers into three armed forces will be explained to the NCC cadets by its officers to ensure that youngsters join the services in huge numbers.
Lt Gen Singh also received salutes from the women NCC officers at the NCC Officers' Training Academy, as stated in a report by PTI.
As many as 112 women from different parts of India turned into NCC officers post three months of training at the academy.
Addressing the women officers, Singh said they have an important responsibility of turning young people into ideal citizens, and expressed confidence that they would do it spectacularly.
Talking to reporters later, Lt Gen Singh said, "Women cadets have been in NCC since 1950 and they have done a remarkable work. Recently, Agnipath was launched for recruitment into the army. NCC officers would share more information on it and explain it at length to the cadets."
"NCC cadets with A, B and C certificates will get bonus points in Agnipath," he said.
He also said that young people from different parts of India, especially from rural areas, join NCC. And these youngsters would serve the military by becoming Agniveers and after completing four years in service, will become ideal citizens.
When asked if there are plans to make NCC mandatory in schools and colleges, he replied that a high-powered committee has been constituted to look into what improvements are needed in the corps and on issues related to compulsory training. The report of the panel is still awaited, he shared.
It may be recalled the Agnipath scheme, the recruitment for which commences today, June 24, received severe backlash from youngsters. Violent protests broke out in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh too.
The Agnipath scheme provides recruitment into the armed forces for youngsters between 17.5 and 23 years old for four years.
