The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is a

youth organisation The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted otherwise. 0 ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, sponsored by the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, which operates in schools, and normally includes

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

sections. The corp is open for secondary school students on voluntary basis and its officers are government teachers and educational administrators, who serve as instructors. The Cadets are given basic military training in small arms and parades, as well as leadership training. Currently administrated under the ''Mobilization and Supplementary Forces Act, No. 40 of 1985'', it was established in 1881 and was formally known as the ''Ceylon Cadet Corps''. The officers and cadets have no liability for active military service. Officers many volunteer for secondment to the

Sri Lanka Armed forces The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (Sri Lank ...

during national emergencies or be mobilized under

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

. Traditionally the Cadet Corps has served as a source for officers for the regular forces of the Sri Lankan military. The NCC is headed by a Director of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

rank.

Mission

The Mission of the National Cadet Corps is to train and inspire cadets using effective training curriculum, so that each cadet shall develop character, courage, sportsmanship, self-reliance, discipline, and civil mindedness, spirit of adventure, responsibility and comradeship to be a human resource of well-trained youth, capable of providing leadership in all aspects of life.

History

*1881 – Mr. John B. Cull, the then principal of

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

formed a cadet platoon as a Volunteer Unit under

Ceylon Light Infantry Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

for the students of the

Royal College A royal college in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix ''royal''. Permission is usually granted through a royal charter. The charter normally confers a constitut ...

. *1902 – Introduction of Cadet Battalion under CLI (Ceylon Light Infantry) and Major S. M. Baros of CLI became the first Commanding Officer of the Cadet Battalion. *1903-Training was conducted by school teachers and Diyatalawa Volunteer Army training camps were conducted with British and Indian troops. *1917 – The First Hermen Loos (All Island) Camp was held in Diyathalawa. The Champions were

Kingswood College, Kandy Kingswood College ( Sinhala: කිංස්වුඩ් විද්‍යාලය Tamil: கிங்ஸ்வுட் கல்லூரி) is a public school which offers primary and secondary education for boys in Sri Lanka. The school ...

*1918 – With the recommendation of Brigadier General R. B. Fell ( Commander, Ceylon Defence Force), formation of Ceylon Cadet Battalion took place on the two divisions on 4 February 1918. *1948 – Colonel R.J.F. Mendis was appointed as the first Sri Lankan commanding officer of the Ceylon Cadet Battalion. *1971 – Eight officers were mobilised for duties with the

Regular Force In the Canadian Armed Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve which has more flexibility. There are many bases and wings across Canada, and factors like trade, career ...

during the period of JVP insurrection in various parts of the island. *1972 – Ceylon Cadet Corps changed its designation as Sri Lanka Cadet Corps after Ceylon declared itself a Republic. *1981 – Centenary Celebrations of Cadet Corps was held in Colombo. *1985 – Action was taken to amalgamate Sri Lanka Cadet Corps and the Police Cadet Corps under the Manpower Mobilization and Auxiliary Forces Act, No. 40 of 1985. *1985 – Girls Platoons were started in ten main cities of the island. *1988 – Sri Lanka Cadet Corps, which was part of the

Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Army. The SLAVF is separate from the Regular Force (known as the ''regular army'') which consists of personal who are professional soldiers an ...

changed its designation as the National Cadet Corps, and it was ceremonially inaugurated on 29 April 1988 by

J. R. Jayewardene Junius Richard Jayewardene ( si, ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන, ta, ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as ...

, the then

President of Sri Lanka The President of Sri Lanka ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ''Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi''; ta, இலங்கை சனாதிபதி ''Ilankai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of t ...

under the above Act. *1990 – The National Cadet Corps Training Centre, Rantembe was established on 2 December 1990 by General Cyril Ranathunga, VSV the Secretary,

. *1995 – A total 98 officers including 25 lady officers were mobilised to serve in the operational areas. Some of them were posted to Army HQ, SLMA,

KDA The dalton or unified atomic mass unit (symbols: Da or u) is a non-SI unit of mass widely used in physics and chemistry. It is defined as of the mass of an unbound neutral atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state and at re ...

and

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

for various duties. *2001 – The Ministry of Defence took over Sri Gunalankara Vidyalaya from the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

and established the HQ National Cadet Corps at Kalubowila on 18 May 2001. *2006 – 125th Anniversary celebrations.

Organization

Headquarters

Headquarters National Cadet Corps – Colombo *General Staff Branch *Corps' Secretary Branch *Admin Quartering Branch *Procurement Branch *Finance Branch *Headquarters Battalion

Battalions

National Cadet Corps has 34 Battalions located in; *1st NCC Battalion – Galle *2nd NCC Battalion – Kandy *3rd NCC Battalion – Colombo *4th NCC Battalion – Kurunagala *5th NCC Battalion – Anuradhapura *6th NCC Battalion – Badulla *7th NCC Battalion – Gampaha *8th NCC Battalion – Rathnapura *9th NCC Battalion – Kegalla *10th NCC Battalion – Tangalla *11th NCC Battalion – Polonnaruwa *12th NCC Battalion – Kalutara *13th NCC Battalion – Matale *14th NCC Battalion – Kuliyapitiya *15th NCC Battalion – Monaragala *16th NCC Battalion – Matara *17th NCC Battalion – Ampara *18th NCC Battalion – Nuwara Eliya *19th NCC Battalion – Padukka *20th NCC Battalion – Jaffna *21st NCC Battalion – Trincomalee *22nd NCC Battalion – vavuniya *23rd NCC Battalion – Kundasale *24th NCC Battalion – Debarawewa *25th NCC Girl Battalion – North Western Province *26th NCC Girl Battalion – Western Province *27th NCC Girl Battalion – Southern Province *28th NCC Girl Battalion – Central Province *29th NCC Girl Battalion – Sabaragamuwa Province *30th NCC Girl Battalion – Northern Province *31st NCC Girl Battalion – Eastern Province *32nd NCC Girl Battalion – North Central Province *33rd NCC Girl Battalion – Uwa Province *34th NCC Battalion – Mulathivu *35th NCC Battalion – Puttlam *36th NCC Battalion – Kilinochchi *37th NCC Battalion – Mannar *38th NCC Battalion – Batticoloa * NCC Training Centre, Rantambe

Training

NCC officers are trained in the National Cadet Corps officers' course at the Volunteer Force Training School, Diyatalawa. All Cadets undergo practical and theoretical training at their platoon and company level in the areas such as Physical Fitness, Foot Drill, Weapon Training and Firing, Map Reading, Field Craft, First Aid, Regimental Duties, Confidence Building Course, Leadership Activities, Fire Fighting, etc. Annually assessment camps at battalion level are held at NCC Training Centre, Rantambe while Naval Cadet assessment camps are held in the

Naval and Maritime Academy Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, is the naval academy of the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001 under the leadership of Commodore SR Samaratunga. History The Sri ...

and Air Force Cadet assessment Camps of the

SLAF Diyatalawa SLAF ''Diyatalawa'' is the Sri Lanka Air Force station in Diyatalawa. It is the primary ground combat training centre for SLAF Regiment and other trades. It runs basic combat courses for officer cadets and recruits as well as Advanced training f ...

. The standard issued service weapon of NCC is the T56-2 variant of the

Type 56 assault rifle The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles.Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. ...

Trophies

* Hermann Loos Championship Trophy – awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a boys' school since 1917, named after

Hermann Albert Loos Hermann Albert Loos (21 July 1865-????) was a Ceylonese lawyer, judge and legislator. He was an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon. Born in Colombo to Frederick Charles Loos, member of the Legislative Counci and Jane Harrie ...

a senior District Judge of Ceylon * De Soysa Champion – awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a girls' school * Lt General T I Weeratunga Challenge Sheeld - awarded annually to the best performing Western Cadet Band from a boys school * Best Eastern Band Championship Trophy * Junior Cadet Championship Trophy (Since 2016)

Training Course

* Junior Leadership Course for Cadets & Sramabimani * Cadets' Advance Course * Probationary Officers' Course * Young Officers' Course * Officers' Training Course * Junior Command Course * Senior Command Course * Band Platoons Commanders' Course * Band NCOs, Course for Cadets * Computer Course for Cadets * Computer Course for ORs * Computer Course for Three Forces and Police Officers * English Language course for Cadets * English Language Course for ORs * English Language Course for Tri-Forces and Police Officers * Sinhala Language Course for Cadets * Sinhala Language Course for ORs * Tamil Language Course for Cadets * Tamil Language Course for ORS * Tamil Language Course for Tri-Forces and Police Officers * Drivers' Course * Counselling Course * University Entrance Course * PSI Course * Clerks Course

Ranks within the NCC

Officers *Major General *Brigadier *Colonel *Lieutenant Colonel *Major *Captain *Lieutenant *2nd Lieutenant *Probationary officer Cadets *Warrant Officer I *Warrant Officer II *Staff Sergeant *Sergeant *Corporal *Lance Corporal *Cadet Supplementary ranks *Regiment Sergeant Major (RSM) *Regiment Quarter Master Sergeant (RQMS) *Company Sergeant Major (CSM) *Company Quarter Master Sergeant (CQMS) *Corps Regimental Sergeant Major – Senior Warrant Officer 1 (one in a Corps) *Battalion Regimental Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer 1 (one in a battalion) *Battalion Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant – Senior Warrant Officer 2 (one in a battalion) *Company Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer 2 (one in a Company) *Company Quarter Master Sergeant – Staff Sergeant (one in a Company) *Sergeant (five in a Company excluding the CSM and CQMS/depend on the platoons in the company) *Corporal (fifteen in a Company) *Lance Corporal (fifteen in a Company) *Cadet

Past Commanding officers (1902-1987)

*Major SM Borrous 1902–1905 *Major James Von Langenberg ED CLI 1905–1915 *Major WE Gratiaen 1916–17 *Major Edvin Evans 1917–1920 *Col LMCD Robison ED 1920–1932 *Col S. A. Pakeman

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, MC, ED 1932–1938 *Col Robert Patrick ED 1938–1943 *Col R.J.F. Mendis OBE ED 1943–1948 *Lt Col HVC De Silva ED 1948–1951 *Col R Sabanayagam OBE 1951–1955 *Bvt Col TN Munasinghe ED 1955–1960 *Lt Col HCF Abeykoon ED 1960–61 *Lt Col HSR Gunawardana 1961–1965 *Lt Col

P. D. Ramayanayake Brigadier (Sri Lanka), Brigadier Percy Douglas Ramayanayake (26 March 1917 – 7 January 2007) was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer who was the founder of the Sri Lanka Engineers. He had served as the Commander, Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration ...

1965–1968 *Lt Col EA Perusinghe ED 1968–69 *Bvt Col GW Rajapaksha ED 1969–1973 *Bvt Col KPG Nilame ED 1973–1977 *Bvt Col RB Narampanawa ED 1977–1980 *Bvt Col NBS Balalle 1980–1984 *Lt Col HKDA Fernando 1984–1987

Past Directors (1988-Present)

*Maj Gen

E. G. Thevanayagam Major General E. George Thevanayagam, VSV was a Sri Lankan general, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Commandant of the Volunteer Force, and later first Director of the National Cadet Corps. Born and educated in Jaffna, Th ...

, VSV 1987–1991 *Col HW Senevirathna (Actg) 1991 *Brig Justus B Rodrigo, VSV 1991–1994 *Maj Gen

T. N. De Silva Major General T. N. De Silva, USP (1939 - ) is a former Sri Lanka Army officer, who was the former General Officer Commanding, 21 Division;, Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, Brigade Commander Armoured Brigade and Director, National ...

, USP 1994–1999 *Col YL Kulasooriya (Actg) 1999–2000 *Brig GSM Ranathunga, USP 2000–2002 *Col RM Somapala (Actg) 2002 *Maj Gen WR Wijerathne, USP 2002–2004 *Brig DHMRB Thammita, RSP 2004–05 *Maj Gen GBW Jayasundara, RWP, RSP 2005–2013 *Maj Gen HMHA Herath 2013–2015 *Maj Gen LWCBB Rajaguru, RWP, RSP, USP 2015–16 *Maj Gen AKP Wickramasinghe, VSV, USP 2016 to 2018 *Maj Gen MMS Perera 2018 to 2019 *maj Gen PWB Jayasundara VSV,USP, ndc 2019-

References

{{reflist

External links

Web site

Disciplined citizens needed for country to prosper: PM
Youth organisations based in Sri Lanka Military of Sri Lanka Military youth groups Military education and training in Sri Lanka Military units and formations of Ceylon in World War II Military units and formations established in 1881