By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 5: The state government and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) North Eastern Region are planning to expand the reach of the NCC in Meghalaya, with a focus on schools and colleges in remote and rural areas.
The initiative was highlighted during the NCC NER Annual Awards for the training year 2025-26 held at the Rhino Auditorium in Shillong on Tuesday.
At present, the NCC is largely confined to educational institutions in the state’s urban centres.
The state government and the NCC believe that extending the organisation’s reach to rural areas will create wider opportunities for young people through leadership development, discipline, community service, national integration, and personality development.
Addressing reporters after the programme, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said the government wants the NCC to move beyond urban limits and reach schools and colleges in remote parts of the state.
He noted that Meghalaya is a young state, with 59% of its population below the age of 25, and said the government expects the youth to join the NCC and contribute to nation-building.
Reflecting on his own experience as a former cadet, Shylla said the organisation had played an important role in shaping his personality and building his confidence. He said exposure to camps, public activities, and interaction with fellow cadets helped prepare him for public life.
The minister also praised the all-girls band presentation during the programme and said that the possibility of sending the band to New Delhi for the Republic Day parade has been explored.
He said the Director General of the NCC would soon visit Shillong, during which discussions would focus on expanding enrolment and strengthening the organisation’s presence in the rural areas. Shylla added that the government has taken several steps to promote youth development and pointed out that Meghalaya is the only state in the country to have introduced a youth engagement programme at the block level.
Additional Director General (ADG) of the NCC NER, Anurag Vij, appealed to the parents, schools, and colleges to actively support the enrolment of children in the NCC, saying such opportunities help shape young people beyond academics.
Referring to the band display during the programme, he said that the students displayed remarkable talent. He recalled that last year, a band from SNS School performed at Kartavya Path before Narendra Modi, who later invited the students to his residence.
He said a school from Meghalaya could not participate this year because of examinations, but stressed that while examinations are held every year, opportunities of this nature are rare and deserve minor adjustments.
Vij said it would be a matter of pride for Meghalaya if a girls’ band from the state were to march on Kartavya Path, which could become a first in the state’s history.
He said the annual awards marked the culmination of a year of training under the NCC NER, which covers seven Northeastern states and is headquartered in Shillong. Awards were presented to outstanding cadets, institutions, and NCC units from across the region.
Vij said the annual programme not only recognises achievement but also promotes inter-state interaction among young people. Cadets from Manipur, Nagaland, and other northeastern states travelled to Shillong for the event, giving them a deeper understanding of the diversity of the Northeast.
Calling the NCC the largest youth organisation in the world, he said its larger objective goes beyond preparing young people for the armed forces. He said the organisation helps build discipline, responsible citizenship, and unity, and keeps the youth away from drugs and harmful habits.
He also highlighted various NCC activities in the region, including camps in Umiam, adventure camps in Jowai, and camps in Tura.
Vij further urged schools and colleges, particularly in Meghalaya, to come forward and send their students to the NCC, saying the long-term benefits for young people and society are far greater than the challenges.
Excellence in cadets celebrated
At the awards, the NCC North Eastern Region honoured outstanding cadets, officers, and units from across the region.
The ceremony highlighted the discipline and achievements of awardees who represented the Northeast in national and international programmes. Among the recipients, Refiness Warjri of the 61 Meghalaya Girls Battalion was named Best Senior Wing Cadet for Meghalaya. Warjri was notably one of the youngest cadets to represent India in the International Mount Everest Expedition.
Rishab Subedi, a student at B.B.S. College, also received the Best Senior Wing Cadet award for Meghalaya. Subedi previously represented the region at the 2025 Republic Day Camp in New Delhi and the 2026 Youth Exchange Programme in Mauritius.
From Manipur, Neihoiling Lhouvum received the NER Best Cadet award in the senior wing category. She noted that persistence helped her secure the honor after she initially failed to qualify for the national selection camp in 2024. Senior Under Officer Tushar Dey of the 1st Assam Battalion earned the NER Best Cadet award in the senior division, following his participation in the All India Thal Sainik Camp and the Indian Military Academy Attachment Camp.
The awardees credited the NCC for providing the exposure and leadership training necessary to build character and a sense of national integration.
