The National Cadets Corps (NCC) will be inviting youth delegations of 25 countries from across all six inhabited continents to participate in the Republic Day 2022 celebrations.  Out of these, youth delegations would be invited for the first time from 15 countries - USA, Canada, UK, France, Japan, Oman, UAE, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria and Seychelles. They will be in India from January 15-29, 2022, as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence.            

These 15 countries will be in addition to the existing 10 foreign countries - Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Kyrgyz Republic, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Vietnam - with whom NCC already has an ongoing Youth Exchange Program. All together, approximately 300 cadets of National Cadet Corps/equivalent/youth organisations from these 25 countries would be invited to participate in the celebrations. As part of the visit, ten cadets/youth, along with their supervisors, of each of the 25 countries, will attend important events of Republic Day celebrations. 

NCC Republic Day Camp is the most prestigious annual event of NCC and provides several life-time experiences for participating youth including the Republic Day Parade and the Prime Minister’s NCC Rally. They will also call on top dignitaries, including the President and the Prime Minister. Visits to various places of historical and cultural importance have also been planned, as part of the program. The cadets would be exposed to activities like Yoga and Ayurveda. 

For the first time, the cadets/youth participating in the NCC Republic Day camp from foreign countries will compete to get selected based on a selection process to be organised by NCC in those countries. The selection process will be organised in these countries in association with Ministry of External Affairs, Defence Attaches in Indian Embassies in these countries as well as the youth organisation of that country. Partner youth organizations have also been identified. The selection competition will adjudge candidates on their knowledge about India, its achievements in last 75 years, culture and people.    

The initial work for selecting the youth from participating countries has begun. All the concerned countries have been requested to provide wide publicity to the Quiz competition and ensure that maximum youth are given the chance to participate in the program. The broad timeline proposed for the selection process is as follows: 

To ensure safety of the youth participating in the program, all protocols and safety aspects of COVID-19 will be followed. It is being requested to the concerned countries that all the cadets visiting India are fully vaccinated and have health insurance. 

The NCC India has always proved to be a medium of national integration as it brings the youth from across the country on a common platform and channelises their potential to build a great nation. This mega youth exchange programme is expected to promote cross-cultural exchange of ideas among the participating youth, promote understanding of international cultures, tolerance and develop appreciation for universal ideals of brotherhood and social cohesion. They will also learn about education, ethnicity and lifestyles of different countries. The aim is also to promote greater awareness among youth of other countries about India, its rich cultural heritage, its people and the country’s achievements in the last 75 years.

ABB/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy