The Central Government, through the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, is facilitating the expansion of National Cadet Corps (NCC) coverage in government schools located in Scheduled Caste (SC)-concentrated areas and areas covered under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY). The initiative aims to promote leadership, discipline, character-building, and national service among students from socially and educationally disadvantaged communities.
Minister of State Shri Ramdas Athawale provided this information in a written reply to a question from Shri Chandrakant Damodar Handore in the Rajya Sabha. The reply detailed that 263 government schools have been identified or shortlisted under this initiative. A breakdown shows that 25 of these schools already have existing NCC units, 8 schools are currently on a waiting list for units, and 230 schools have not yet applied for the establishment of NCC units.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has taken proactive steps by sharing the list of these 230 eligible government schools with the concerned authorities across seven States and one Union Territory to facilitate the process of establishing new NCC units. It was specifically noted that no government school from the state of Maharashtra was included in the identified or shortlisted list prepared for this initiative.
The government continues to work in close coordination with the Ministry of Defence, State Governments, and Union Territory Administrations to facilitate greater participation of students from Scheduled Castes and disadvantaged regions in the NCC, reflecting a commitment to ensuring equitable access to opportunities that foster youth development.