Girls cross 40% mark in NCC as enrolment sees steady rise: Sanjay Seth

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth has said that the participation of girls in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) has witnessed a steady and significant rise over the last five years, with women cadets now accounting for over 40 per cent of the total enrolment across the country.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today, Seth said that the total strength of NCC cadets increased from 14.64 lakh in 2021 to 15.58 lakh in 2025, reflecting sustained growth in youth participation in the organisation.

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According to official data, the enrolment of girl cadets rose from 5.20 lakh in 2021, constituting 35.50 per cent of the total strength, to 6.33 lakh in 2025, making up 40.68 per cent of the total enrolment. The number of senior wing girl cadets increased from 2.29 lakh in 2021 to 2.82 lakh in 2025, while junior wing girl cadets rose from 2.91 lakh to 3.51 lakh during the same period.

The government has also expanded NCC infrastructure in strategically important regions. During the last five years, four new NCC units have been raised in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to strengthen youth engagement and national integration in the region.

To further encourage the participation of girls and improve facilities for women cadets, several measures have been implemented by the government. These include the upgradation of training infrastructure, standardisation of NCC curriculum and drill modules to ensure equal training opportunities, increased induction of women Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) and Permanent Commissioned Officers, and the mandatory presence of women ANOs, lady officers, trained women instructors and medical staff at training campuses.

The Ministry of Defence has clarified that details related to the recruitment of NCC cadets into the Armed Forces and their subsequent career progression are maintained separately by the Army, Navy and Air Force.