For A True Sovereign Independent Viksit Bharat @ 2047, Should India Urgently Revise NCC’s Curriculum And Training Module?

In order to meet India’s strategic interest in line with PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat outreach vision for 2047, Directorate of National Cadet Corps (NCC) under the command of Ministry of Defence (MoD) should change the curriculum and it’s training module, which currently aims at making NCC cadets a ‘disciplined’ and ‘responsible’ citizens. With 7^th generation of military warfare and hybrid threats looming large in 2047; where civil- military, state- non state line would be totally blurred, India urgently needs ‘responsive — responsible‘ citizens to deal with ‘undisciplined’— invisible’ adversaries.    

Shailesh Kumar, National Defence
New Delhi, 05 January 2025

When India will complete 100 years of its independence in 2047, the ‘Viksit Bharat’ would likely face:

• Fierce economic competition and strategic rivalry in a multi-polar world under the sphere of Chinese influence;

• Potential direct military conflict with People’s Republic of China, with which India shares un-demarcated disputed border;

• Regional powers like Iran, Turkey and Pakistan challenging India’s dominance in Indian ocean;

• Strategic competition in trade, technology and Governance from the United States of America, who is considered a friendly collaborator today;

• 7^th generation of military and hybrid threats from adversaries and big international corporates;

• Cyber-terrorism and proxy war involving Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, swarm drones from China’s & its key ally Pakistan and it’s changed nuclear posturing against India;

• Bio- enhanced threats, space based military and hybrid threats;

• Weaponized information like congnitive hacking, real time AI, deep fakes, psychological war;

• Autonomous swarms, robotic decoys and new tech arms;

• Biological and environmental threats and competition for resources like water, rare earth metals etc;

• Threats from High-altitude Platforms like solar drones, and other aerospace and space threats including militarized satellites etc.

• Gray zone adversarial threats like exploitation of religious, social, or political fault lines within India to incite unrest.

The list of challenges for Viksit Bharat in 2047 is not explicit and could be exhaustive.

In such an altered and interfered environment where civil— military line is totally blurred, India needs capable ‘responsive’ and ‘responsible’ citizens with multi domain, multi-layered— cyber, space, and cognitive warfare capabilities. A large section of combat-able citizens, besides modernized capable armed forces, who actively participate in resilience building like protecting critical infrastructure, creating redundancies in digital networks, and educating populations about misinformation and meet the challenges of non-attributable hybrid threats with faster decision-making and agile response. This concept of “responsive responsible citizen” is beyond existing architecture of ‘civil-defence’.  

Furthermore, it is not just the ‘challenges’ that India would need ‘responsive responsible citizens’ for the protection or for defence; rather they would be a great contributors, who exploit ‘opportunities’ on the way when India marches ahead towards its goal of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Within such an approach, NCC cadets should just not be considered and treated only as “Reserves”or “Reservists” needed at the time of only during national emergency or during war. However, within such an initiative, not all NCC cadets be treated alike; they should voluntarily pursue, quit, but pursue something of their own interest either they want to join armed forces, or work in civilian domains either in Government, semi-Government or in private entities.

Having said that, in that way, tri-services NCC should remain a voluntary organisation only and should not be turned into ‘tour of duty’ kind set up or considered a pre-launch armed service organisation dedicated to produce combatants. It is noteworthy to mention here, young NCC cadets show extreme level of patriotism and ready to protect their motherland Bharat Mata whatever it takes. In that scenario, an organisation like NCC can mentor and guide a large section of India’s youth so they fulfil their personal and national goal and ambitions.  

Maintaining sovereignty and independence should be paramount for a Viksit Bharat@2047. Wars, conflict or skirmishes are not desirable. However, it is not one sided; not even two sided but in a fast paced world full of conflicts where multiple players eyeing dominance in one or another sector, a third player, fourth or fifth player may pitch one to another in combinations or permutations suiting its own interests. Not only for prevention of war, deterring the enemy but to speak from the ‘position of strength’, India needs capable ‘responsive responsible citizens’. ‘Catch them young’ via NCC so India’s youth energy is not wasted for the want of guidance in pursuit of a goal in life or India suffers from ‘brain drain’. Rather a youth should be a pride contributor to family, society and in service of the nation.

‘Ready to combat’ mindset for India is the need of the hour; ‘Conscription’ is not the key. ‘Evasion’ is not an option”. Acting timely is witty and wise. Imparting training for a better citizenry, India wouldn’t be an exception. Bharat’s friends and foes are striving hard to produce combatant citizens though many considering them as ‘reservists’ for armed conflict and few for ‘conscription’ into armed services. Just to name a few:

• Germany runs— ‘Jugendoffizier’ – Youth Officer Programs for its armed forces ‘Bundeswehr’;

• Israel runs— ‘Gadna’, a pre-military program for Israeli youth that provides combat training and prepares them for mandatory military service (Conscription).

• Russia runs ‘Yunarmiya’— Youth Military Program that specifically contributes to Russia’s war efforts. Russia with 2 million reservists as of now maintains one of the largest reserve forces globally.

• UK’s runs Combined Cadet Force (CCF) program that imparts combat and small arms training;

• United States runs Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC);

• North Korea runs Young Pioneer Corps (YPC) that is feeder to Korean People’s Army. YPC imparts combat training to children aged 9 to 17 years;

• Japan runs at least 4 basic training program for it’s youth namely— Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) – Youth Programs, Japanese Boy Scouts, National Defense Medical College (NDMC) and Volunteer Military Training (Japan Self-Defense Forces).

• Similarly Iran runs many programs for youth that include indoctrination and combat training.

• Most coveted training amongst youth program is considered as that of People’s Republic of China. China runs many programs for children and youth. The Chinese Young Pioneers founded soon after civil war in 1949 for children 6-14 years of age may not be a military program but it shapes citizens as with ‘Chinese’ characteristics that are there. Another program— The Chinese Communist Youth League for youth 14- 28 years ensures Chinese youths participation in national defense programs and military-related activities, such as the Reserve Officers Training Program and Military Training in Schools.

Military training similar to NCC is an integral part of the Chinese national curriculum. China’s most important training program for youth is Chinese Reserve Officers Training Program (ROTC) that is directed towards university students but open to all. It imparts 1 – 2 years of combat training for youth with an eye to take them into military or for ‘reserves’.  

According to various media reports, Each year, over seven million first-year university students across approx 2,000 universities in China participate in PRC’s military training programs. This initiative aims to instil discipline, patriotism, and basic military skills among the Chinese youth. In 2023 alone, China’s military academies enrolled a record 17,000 high school graduates, marking the highest intake since reforms in 2017. This reflects China’s efforts to modernize its armed forces by attracting educated youth into military careers.

China way back in 1984, though the Military Service Law combined the militia and reserve service system, and began providing military training to college and university students and senior middle school students. China, in December 2022, passed a new reservist law to professionalize and expand its reserve forces. Soon after by March 2023, the PLA initiated programs to train individual reservist augmentees for reintegration into their original units. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in 2024, while presenting China’s defence budget, highlighted the expansion of the PLA’s reserve force as a key priority.

If India’s top adversary is focussing so much on its youth’s military training and catching them young, India must not overlook the consequences of facing combatant Chinese citizens oriented for discipline within national boundaries and creating raucous within other nations’ boundaries. Schemes like Agnipath by inducting lesser age youth may help in bringing the age down of our armed forces and keeping them young. But the intention of imparting such skills and training youth is not aimed at conscription or tour of duty or for the sole purpose of increasing ‘reservists’.

But imparting training via NCC to India’s future— the Indian youth is altogether a different gambit. Without falling prey to antagonist theory that training Indian youth militarily would have negative consequences for Indian society and would induce arms culture or give rise to societal conflicts; I, as an Indian citizen and journalist, believe it rather will help in imbibing nationalism, patriotism and persevere Indian youth to dream, realize their dreams and achieve personal goals while contributing to Bharat mata positively.

(Views are personal and not intended to offend or contradict any individual, or organisation).

About the author: Shailesh Kumar, found editor of National Defence is Indian journalist with over 20 years of working experience. He has previously reported for The Pioneer, The Day After, Centre For Science & Environment, BAG Films, Star News (now ABP News), India TV, News X and News 24. He can be reached at: shailesh.news76@gmail.com.  

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