Modi govt to rope in NCC cadets aged 18 and above to help in fight against coronavirus

The NCC will mobilise its senior division volunteer cadets to be employed in small cohesive groups of 8-20 to assist the civil infrastructure.

A file photo of NCC parade at by SD cadets at IIT Bombay. | Photo: Commons

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has decided to rope in National Cadet Corps (NCC) volunteers aged 18 or above, to help the Indian civil infrastructure in the fight against the widening coronavirus outbreak.

The NCC has moved to help the civilian authorities by extending the services of its cadets under a programme called ‘Exercise NCC Yogdan’.

The NCC, which operates under the Ministry of Defence, is the largest uniformed youth organisation of the country with an approximate strength of 14 lakhs.

In a statement released Thursday, the NCC issued guidelines for temporary employment of its cadets to boost relief efforts and functioning of various agencies involved in battling the pandemic.

As of now, 25,000 cadets are being mobilised to provide necessary local assistance, said the statement.

The tasks envisaged for cadets include manning of helpline/call centres, distribution of relief materials/medicines/food/essential commodities, community assistance, data management and queue and traffic management.

However, the cadets should not be employed in handling of law and order situation or for active military duties or at hot spots, said the guidelines.

“Only Senior Division volunteer cadets above 18 years of age will be employed. They should be employed in small cohesive groups of eight to 20 under the supervision of Permanent Instructor Staff or/and an Associate NCC Officer,” added the statement.

As of today, India has reported over 1,830 cases of coronavirus infection, with a significant surge reported over the last three days.

How the cadets will be deployed

According to the statement, the state governments or district administrations will have to send the requisition for deployment of cadets through NCC’s state directorates.

Details will be coordinated at the Directorate or Group Headquarters or unit level with the state government or local civil authority.

Before the cadets are deployed for duty, ground conditions and laid down requirements are to be ensured, the guidelines said.

Since NCC’s inception, its cadets have contributed during natural calamities like floods, cyclone among other events.