By IANS
New Delhi : Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari inaugurated the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day camp here, saying that the rigorous discipline the cadets were put through was very useful training for both the body and the mind.
Ansari also expressed the hope that the NCC cadets “would rise above parochialism and regionalism and develop a broad national outlook to make a united and prosperous India”.
In this context, the vice-president noted that the cadets, hailing from various parts of the country and with different linguistic and religious backgrounds, represented a mini India.
A contingent of smartly turned out NCC cadets drawn from its army, navy and air force wings, presented a guard of honour to the vice-president.
Close to 2,000 cadets, both boys and girls, drawn from 17 NCC directorates covering India’s all states and union territories are participating in the camp.
“The cadets will take part in a number of activities involving cultural, national integration awareness and institutional training competitions,” a defence ministry statement said.
The nearly month-long camp will conclude with the prime minister’s rally Jan 28.
Later, addressing the cadets NCC Director General Lt. Gen. Prakash Chaudhary said the corps had signed a MoU with UNICEF under which girl cadets would participate in a pilot project on a literacy mission.