Bats for NCC in schools, colleges
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has tossed up an idea for providing “partial military training’ for students living near border areas and promoting NCC in schools and colleges in a big way.
While replying to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on a Private Member’s Bill seeking compulsory military training to all youth in the country and include military training in the curriculum for children from matriculation to graduation level, Parrikar said India could start some element of military training for its youth, especially in border areas on a trial basis. He, however, ruled out making military training compulsory as some other countries do.
“Under the programme, which could be launched on trial basis in border areas, military training could be imparted for an hour or as a separate course as part of school and college curriculum. It can be introduced as an hour in a course or as a separate course. We can work out something like that. We can start on a trial basis. let us do so in some districts on the border where there is more enthusiasm,” Parrikar said. He added that defence training can also be taken as a course.
While supporting the intent of the Bill that proposed one-year compulsory military training in the age group of 14-15, Parrikar said this was not practically possible in view of the huge expenditure, infrastructure and resource requirement. Parrikar estimated this would need about `60,000 crore each year.
Interestingly, the Bill brought by BJP’s Avinash Rai Khanna on August 8 this year was supported by all members cutting across party lines. Yet, ironically, since a Private Member Bill is rarely passed, the Bill fell on the floor of the house through a voice vote. Till date, only 14 private members’ bills have passed, out of which six were in 1956 alone. The last private member’s Bill passed was in 1970.
But members lauded the idea and favoured some sort of military training for youth for self-discipline and sought NCC training at school or college levels. Most of the members who participated in the discussion could not help narrating their own days in college and their association with NCC and National Scouts and Guides.
While advocating for NCC at school level, BJD’s Bhupinder Singh felt that such training such be imparted in educational institutes in tribal areas so that they can easily join the security forces when they grow up.
He said NCC will support national integration and will reduce communal violence. Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav said military training imparted through NCC infuses a sense of pride and self-discipline among cadets. BJP’s VP Singh Badnore argued that 50% of the countries in world have conscription in some or the other form. He cited examples of Russia, USA, Israel and China. He suggested a two-year military like training for even bureaucrats.