**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence to the Lok Sabha, responding to Unstarred Question No. 962 regarding the enrollment of cadets in the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The question was scheduled to be answered on December 5th, 2025. The response provides data on total NCC cadet enrollment, girl cadet enrollment and percentage, the number of new NCC units activated, measures to encourage female participation, and monitoring systems for cadet progression into the Armed Forces.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Enrollment Statistics (2021-2025)**
* Provides the total number of cadets enrolled in the NCC for each year from 2021 to 2025.
* Details the number of Senior Wing and Junior Wing girl cadets enrolled for each year from 2021 to 2025.
* States the total number of girl cadets and the percentage of girl cadets out of the total enrollment for each year from 2021 to 2025.
* In 2025, total cadets enrolled reached 1,558,199, with 633,804 being girl cadets, representing 40.68% of the total enrollment.
* **NCC Unit Expansion**
* Four new NCC units have been established in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the last five years.
* **Measures to Encourage Female Participation**
* Upgrading training infrastructure.
* Standardising the NCC Curriculum and Drill Modules to ensure equal training opportunities.
* Increasing the induction of women Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) and Permanent Commissioned Officers.
* Mandatory presence of women ANOs, Lady Officers, trained women instructors, and women medical staff at campus.
* **Cadet Progression to Armed Forces**
* Details of recruitment of NCC cadets in the Armed forces and their progression are maintained by the three services.
**Impact Analysis**
**Key Stakeholders: NCC Cadets**
* **Impact:** Enhanced training and increased opportunities for female cadets, including access to better infrastructure and more female role models.
* **Action Required:** N/A (This document does not directly specify actions for NCC Cadets)
**Key Stakeholders: Ministry of Defence**
* **Impact:** The ministry is responsible for implementing measures to enhance female participation and track the progress of cadets into the Armed Forces.
* **Action Required:** Continue monitoring cadet enrollment and progression, maintaining records, and implementing initiatives to support female participation in the NCC.
Key Entities Referenced
National Cadet Corps (NCC): A youth development organization sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, that aims to develop character, comradeship, discipline, leadership, secular outlook, spirit of adventure and ideals of selfless service amongst the youth of the country.
Ministry of Defence: The Indian government ministry responsible for coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces.
Jammu & Kashmir: A Union Territory of India where new NCC units have been raised.
Ladakh: A Union Territory of India where new NCC units have been raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 962
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05TH DECEMBER, 2025
ENROLLMENT OF CADETS IN NCC
962. DR. BHOLA SINGH:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of cadets enrolled in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in the country during
the last five years along with the manner in which this figure has grown;
(b) the number and percentage of girl cadets enrolled during the said period, Junior Division-
wise/Senior Division-wise;
(c) the number of new NCC units sanctioned/activated during the said period and their
geographical coverage;
(d) the measures taken by the Government to encourage the participation of more girls and
strengthen infrastructure for female cadets in NCC; and
(e) the details of follow-up monitoring systems in place to track retention, progression to leadership
roles and transition of cadets into the Armed Forces?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI SANJAY SETH)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
(a) & (b) Number of NCC cadets enrolled and percentage of Girl Cadets are as under:
Year Total Number of Senior wing Junior Wing Total Percentage
Cadets enrolled Girls Girls Enrollment of of Girl
Girl Cadets Cadets
2021 1464727 229005 291021 520026 35.50
2022 1481279 234490 294850 529340 35.74
2023 1514518 252602 308109 560711 37.02
2024 1533866 268774 327966 596740 38.90
2025 1558199 282579 351225 633804 40.68
..2/--2-
(c) During the last five years, a total of 04 (four) NCC units have been raised in the Union
Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
(d) Measures taken include upgradation of training infrastructure, standardisation of the NCC
Curriculum and Drill Modules to ensure equal training opportunities for women cadets, increased
induction of women Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) and Permanent Commissioned Officers and
mandatory presence of women ANOs, Lady Officers, trained women instructor and women
medical staff at campus.
(e) The details of recruitment of NCC cadets in the Armed forces and their further progression in
the services is maintained by the three services.
****