Ministers from 7 NER states, Sikkim and West Bengal participated in the conference
Raksha Rajya Mantri (RRM) Shri Sanjay Seth attended the Special Joint State Representatives and Additional Director General’s Conference 2026 in Guwahati, Assam, organised by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) on October 15, 2026. The conference deliberated on the expansion, strengthening and effective functioning of the NCC in the North Eastern Region (NER), West Bengal and Sikkim.
Addressing the conference, RRM appreciated the participation of cadets from the North Eastern States in the Republic Day Camp (RDC) and the increasing enrolment of girl cadets, reflecting the NCC’s contribution to women’s empowerment. He emphasised the need to work towards the Prime Minister’s vision of expanding the NCC from its present strength of approximately 17 lakh cadets to 20 lakh. RRM stressed the importance of motivating and guiding the youth to imbibe the spirit of ‘Nation First’. He called upon all nine participating States to formulate and implement practical, actionable plans for NCC expansion, with particular emphasis on strengthening infrastructure and enhancing training facilities for cadets and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment towards it.
Quoting the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi "The NCC is a movement that empowers India's Yuva Shakti, making our youth confident, disciplined, and dedicated to the nation," RRM emphasised on ensuring effective training, adequate institutional support and improved coordination among stakeholders to strengthen the organisation’s outreach and functioning.
The conference provided a platform for strengthening coordination between the NCC and the State Governments, with deliberations focusing on expanding NCC coverage, cadet welfare, training infrastructure, institutional strengthening and addressing administrative challenges. It also emphasised the contribution of NCC towards social service and community development, character-building, leadership, national integration and the development of a spirit of service among young people.
The North Eastern Region NCC Directorate provides coverage across the seven States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura through nine Group Headquarters and 50 units. NCC is present in 1,645 educational institutions in the region, with a strength of approximately 1.25 lakh cadets. Similarly, the West Bengal & Sikkim NCC Directorate provides coverage through six Group Headquarters and 56 units, with NCC activities extending to 1,326 educational institutions and approximately 1.25 lakh cadets.
The conference, led by Director General NCC, Lt Gen Virendra Vats, was attended by Additional Secretary, Mrs Dipti Mohil Chawla, Ministers and senior officials from the participating States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, West Bengal and Sikkim and Senior officials from Ministry of Defence & NCC.
