Recently, the Republic Day Camp (RDC) 2026 of the National Cadet Corps commenced with ceremonial grandeur at the DG NCC Camp, Delhi Cantt. The camp is witnessing participation from 2,406 cadets, including contingents from Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and the North East Region, along with cadets and officers from 25 friendly foreign countries under the Youth Exchange Programme. Addressing the media, Lt Gen Virendra Vats, Director General, NCC, said the organisation has expanded its presence to over 90 per cent of districts across the country. He noted that the strength of NCC has grown from around 20,000 cadets at its inception in 1948 to nearly 2 million today, with girl cadets accounting for about 40 per cent of the total strength. Highlighting NCC’s role in character-building and discipline, the Director General said that in 2025 the organisation conducted 1,665 Annual Training Camps, six Special National Integration Camps and 33 Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Camps. NCC cadets also undertook a wide range of activities, including a special mountaineering expedition to Mt Everest, disaster-response support under Op Sindoor, border outreach under the Vibrant Villages Programme, large-scale plantation drives, yoga events, cleanliness campaigns, skill workshops, drone training and start-up innovation initiatives. He added that a special sailing expedition around uninhabited islands of Andaman & Nicobar is currently underway, alongside cycling expeditions commemorating national milestones. Further, around 94,400 NCC cadets from 315 districts have been nominated under the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme for disaster management training by March 2026. The Republic Day Camp will be visited by several dignitaries, including the Vice President, Raksha Mantri and Service Chiefs, and will culminate with the Prime Minister’s Rally on 28 January 2026.