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As the nation is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its independence, the Karnataka government has decided to start 75 new units of NCC in schools and colleges and induct 7,500 more cadets into the NCC this year, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday.
The Chief Minister was speaking at an event to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Apart from announcing the decision on new NCC units, Bommai also reopened the modernised Government Flying School with training for 75 pilots, launched P2006T twin-engine aircraft and Heli Tourism on the occasion. The decision to augment NCC has been taken to attract the youth towards joining the NCC. There are about 44,000 cadets in state's schools. The state government would fully fund Rs 12,000 expenditure on each cadet. The state government would seek the approval of the Defence Ministry to revamp the tough aspects of NCC and bear the entire cost of augmenting it," Bommai stated. "The NCC units in high schools would be carried forward to colleges with plans to raise the number of cadets to over 50,000 next year. We need the approval of the Defence Ministry for this and we are confident of obtaining it," he added. Referring to the functioning of the Youth Empowerment department, Bommai said that the department has in recent days initiated a slew of activities to instil new enthusiasm among the youth to participate in sports and adventure activities. It is commendable to note that the department has launched a four-year adoption programme to train Olympic aspirants, the Chief Minister said. Calling reopening of the Flying School 'another achievement' he said that the state government has been decided to provide training for 100 candidates and a twin-engine aircraft has also been procured. As for the demand to have a full-fledged runway, the state government would take measures to provide land for the purpose after examining the issue in the coming days, he added. Stressing the importance of women's security, the Chief Minister said an agreement has been signed with the police department for training women in self-defence which should be launched in schools and colleges. Bommai also said that a slew of programmes including Heli-tourism is being launched on Netaji's birth anniversary. "They have been formulated for the youth. What Netaji achieved in his life of just 48 years should inspire us all. Let us follow his ideals and reignite the spirit of Indianness," he said. The Chief Minister recalled Netaji's strong connection with Karnataka on the occasion. "During the Presidential election for Congress Committee when Mahatma Gandhi supported the candidature of Pattabhiram Reddy against Netaji, Siddappa Hosamani of Haveri, a senior Congress leader of the time from Bombay province had supported Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji later agreed to visit Dharwad on Hosamani's request letter," the Chief Minister said narrating the episode which he had heard from his father SR Bommai. Bommai also recalled the huge respect he witnessed for Netaji during his visit to the Netaji memorial in Japan. "The patriotism among our youth would have been more intense had the country identified leaders like Netaji, Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh as frontline freedom fighters," he said. (ANI)
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