New report recommends strengthening NCC activities in north Kerala, Idukki

The Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department under the State government, in a new report, has recommended measures for strengthening the activities of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in north Kerala districts and Idukki.

For north Kerala, the department’s Work Study Report 2026 on the NCC has recommended new NCC battalions for Malappuram and Kasaragod districts and a new Group Headquarters in Kannur. The report also recommends the formation of a new NCC battalion in Idukki district.

The proposals are aimed at serving the needs of schools of colleges with respect to the NCC in these districts. It takes into account the growing demand for NCC in these districts and the need to ease the workload on existing battalions.

It noted that the Thenhipalam 29 (K) Battalion alone caters to the NCC requirements of the Malappuram district. Nearly 3,281 cadets come under this battalion which serves 23 schools and 17 colleges. It also caters to two schools and one college in the neighbouring Kozhikode district. Applications for starting 40 new units are pending in the district. “Malappuram district, which stands first in the number of students in the State, has only one battalion for NCC activities,” it noted.

Kasaragod, which has two educational districts, does not have an NCC battalion at present. The NCC requirements are handled through the Payyannur 32 (K) Battalion at present. NCC units in 14 schools and four colleges under this battalion operate in the Kasaragod district limits. Besides, applications are currently pending for eight new units, the report noted.

In the case of Idukki, the Work Study Report 2026 observed that applications are pending for eight new NCC units under the Nedumkandam 33 (K) Battalion. Given the size and geographical peculiarities of Idukki district, allowing new undts under the existing battalion would only add to work load, adversely impacting operations.

NCC is a collaborative effort by the Defence Ministry, school and college teachers and Central and State government officials. The NCC Directorate (Kerala and Lakshadweep) is under a Major General-rank officer. At the State level, matters related to the NCC are handled by the State Higher Education Department.

Further, the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department has recommended a new NCC Group Headquarters in Kannur, considering the area, population and the number of educational institutions in the six northern districts of Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod.

The Group Headquarters has been suggested with the aim of drawing more youngsters to NCC in northern Kerala, the report said.

At present, NCC in Kerala has five Group Headquarters – at Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kozhikode – and 42 battalions under them.