Punjab makes NCC compulsory in schools, colleges bordering Pakistan

Chandigarh, July 9 (IANS) Punjab will provide compulsory National Cadet Corps (NCC) training to students at all government schools and colleges in areas located close to the international border with Pakistan.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took a decision in this regard at a high-level meeting here on Monday, saying that it would help make the youth employable in the armed and paramilitary forces besides inculcating a strong sense of disciplinein in them.

Gradually, NCC training would be made compulsory at all the schools in the state.

Amarinder Singh announced a pilot project to provide compulsory NCC training to all students of Class IX and XI at government schools and first and second year students at all colleges in the border districts of Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Amritsar.

There are 365 high schools and 365 senior secondary schools in these districts.

In another important decision, the Chief Minister gave the government departments a 10-day deadline to identify and prepare lists of critical vacancies across the state to be filled on priority, while directing online transfer policy to be extended to all departments like the Education Department.

Chairing the meeting to discuss recruitment and other vital issues, the Chief Minister said that about 29,000-odd vacancies in various departments could be filled in the first phase, with another 15,000 posts to be filled in the second phase next year.

On the issue of transfers, the Chief Minister directed that the online transfer policy, which has been successfully introduced for teachers, should be made mandatory in all the government departments to ensure transparency.