The establishment of an NCC Air Squadron in Jashpur district, Chhattisgarh, marks a significant step in providing career prospects for the region’s youth. Following the initiative of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the PMSHRI Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya is now home to the 3 CG NCC Air Squadron. This development is a major achievement for the district, paving the way for a brighter future for its young people.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the program by presenting NCC cadet badges to 25 outstanding students selected for the Air NCC, extending his best wishes for their future careers. The group included 13 girls and 12 boys. Wing Commander Vivek Kumar Sahu presented a memento to the Chief Minister. The event was attended by dignitaries including MLA Gomti Sai, MLA Raymuni Bhagat, District Panchayat President Salik Sai, Municipal President Arvind Bhagat, Vice President Yash Pratap Singh Judeo, District Panchayat Vice President Shaurya Pratap Singh Judeo, and other local officials.
During the recent NCC Day celebrations, Chief Minister Sai expressed his vision to extend the air squadron program to other cities with air strips, following the model in Raipur. Currently, Raipur is the only city in Chhattisgarh offering air NCC and flight training, however, Jagdalpur, Bilaspur, Ambikapur, and Jashpur have air strip facilities available.
As a result, the Agdih airstrip in Jashpur was approved for the 3 CG Air NCC Squadron in March. A microlight aircraft was also dispatched for training purposes. Around 100 cadets had the opportunity to gain real flight experience. Chief Minister Sai personally visited the airstrip to oversee the training program and interact with the cadets, who in turn, shared technical details about the aircraft.
The 3 CG Air NCC Air Squadron is the only such squadron in the country that includes cadets who are students of MBBS, AIIMS, and nursing programs. Cadets have opportunities to compete for 25 vacancies/courses in the army through UPSC and SSB interviews, and 50 vacancies/courses for the Officers Training Academy through the SSC route, which does not require a UPSC exam and relies solely on SSB interviews for selection. Twenty seats are allocated for girls. Air force flight training courses, as well as all other courses, have a 10% quota for cadets, requiring no AFACT or UPSC exams. Furthermore, 2 to 10 bonus marks are awarded in paramilitary force recruitment, and preference is given to NCC C certificate holders in many industries.