New Delhi: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chaired the first Governing Council Meeting of the National Cadet Corps Alumni Association (NCCAA) at South Block, New Delhi on 11 July 2025. The NCCAA seeks to unite former and current NCC cadets to advance the work of the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation and enhance their participation in national development. Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi is the first member of the association, while Rajnath Singh is the second.

In his address, the Raksha Mantri called NCC a platform that sets an ideal for India’s youth and described former cadets as active contributors to the country’s growth. “We need to include the guidance of our former cadets to accelerate the goal of national development,” he said, expressing confidence that NCCAA would bring fresh energy and direction to the organisation.

He encouraged efforts to extend NCC’s values beyond enrolled cadets through a wider spirit of ‘NCC Plus’. “NCC instills these values in the youth who are associated with NCC. Our effort should be to ensure that these values reach those who could not join NCC,” he added.

Highlighting potential areas for engagement, Singh said the NCCAA could contribute to programmes such as Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Swachhta Abhiyan, and other social service schemes. He praised the NCC for shaping the youth through its core values of “Unity and Discipline” and noted its impact in remote areas by helping students become more motivated and disciplined.

The meeting was attended by Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Department of Education) Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (Department of Youth Affairs) Pallavi Jain Govil, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence Dipti Mohil Chawla, DGNCC Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh, Joint Secretary (Training) Pawan Kumar Sharma, CEO LD Remedial World Bala Saraswathy Nair, and Secretary, NCCAA Col Gagan Sharma.

BI Bureau