PM's address at 59th Republic Day Rally of NCC Cadets
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: January 28, 2008 New Delhi

PM's address at 59th Republic Day Rally of NCC Cadets Hindi Version "I am very happy to be with you today. I compliment you for your marvelous rally. What I saw today and what I saw day before yesterday, on Rajpath, make me feel very proud. The NCC inculcates among our youth the enduring values of our Republic, our civilization and our composite culture. You combine the dynamism and energy of youth with the discipline and camaraderie instilled by the NCC. This provides an inspiring example of smartness, cheerfulness and team effort. You are bound together by the commonalities of our diverse faiths and the human values which the Indian identity so majestically expresses. The bright young men and women of the NCC display the promise and hope of India to address the challenges facing our ancient civilization and modern nation. It is a matter of great pride that the NCC has come forward and discharged its duties with efficiency and effectiveness. The services rendered by you to the victims of natural and man-made disasters are truly praiseworthy. The spirit of the NCC needs to be replicated in many spheres of our society to bring about constructive social changes. The involvement of youth in a wide variety of nation building activities will be a key determinant of our success and our excellence. All of you know that India is a young nation with more than a third of our population is below the age of 20. Very few countries in the world are bestowed with such youthful human resources. I am confident that your legacy of dedicated service will inspire more and more students to join the NCC for serving the nation and enriching their lives, character and career. I take heart from the fact that the NCC cadets in our schools and colleges have been steadily growing. Pursuit of academic work in educational institutions must be accompanied by efforts for full flowering of one's personality. The youth in our educational institutions can do so by joining the NCC in large numbers. Discipline and determination are the defining attributes of any society which has made a mark in history. As we register unprecedented progress in the economic field we need to imbibe discipline and develop character more vigorously. I would like our young people to seek adventure and test their limits, not just academically but in all spheres of one's personality development. Our Government is encouraging youth movements that contribute to social and human development. The Nehru Yuvak Kendras have been activated. We are going to support youth programmes that enable our young people to get involved in spreading literacy, in rural development and other constructive avenues. I would also like to see our sports activities receiving a new boost. India must catch up with the world in the sporting arena, in all sporting disciplines. The NCC represents a movement for peace and constructive engagement for building an India where youth can play a more positive role for the cause of society and our nation. I have every reason to believe that your efforts within the NCC will contribute to this larger goal of nation building. I once again compliment you for the spectacular rally and I sincerely hope that you will continue to enrich the legacy of NCC and contribute to the greater glory of the motherland. I wish you all a bright and happy future."