The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is a youth organisation in Sri Lanka, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, which operates in schools, and normally includes Army, Navy and Air Force 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 administered 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. Many officers volunteer for secondment to the Sri Lanka Armed forces during national emergencies or are mobilized under National Service. 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 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 formed a cadet platoon as a Volunteer Unit under Ceylon Light Infantry for the students of the Royal College.
• 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
• 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 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 changed its designation as the National Cadet Corps, and it was ceremonially inaugurated on 29 April 1988 by J. R. Jayewardene, the then President of Sri Lanka under the above Act.^[1]
• 1990 – The National Cadet Corps Training Centre, Rantembe was established on 2 December 1990 by General Cyril Ranathunga, VSV the Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
• 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 and Sri Lanka Navy for various duties.
• 2001 – The Ministry of Defence took over Sri Gunalankara Vidyalaya from the Ministry of Education and established the HQ National Cadet Corps at Kalubowila on 18 May 2001.
• 2006 – 125th Anniversary celebrations.

Organization

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 and Air Force Cadet assessment Camps of the SLAF Diyatalawa.^[2] The standard issued service weapon of NCC is the T56-2 variant of the Type 56 assault rifle.

Ranks within the NCC

Ranks in the NCC follow the pattern of those in the Sri Lanka Army.

Officers

NCC Officers are similar to volunteer officers, wear similar uniforms and insignia. Until 1988, Cadet Corp officers were commissioned officers of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. Following the formation of the NCC, its officers are commissioned and promoted by the President of Sri Lanka with all appointments published in the Government Gazette. Only Sri Lankan citizens who are academic staff members of government school, government approved private school or piriwena, belonging to either the Sri Lanka Teacher Educator Service, Sri Lanka Principle Service, Sri Lanka Teacher Advisors' Service and the Sri Lanka Teacher Service can serve as NCC officers.

Insignia
Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Probationary Officer

Senior NCC officers serve with the Armed Services and National Cadet Corps as mobilized officers, while others serve in the education field.

Cadets

Insignia							No insignia
Rank	Warrant officer class I	Warrant officer class II	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Cadet
Supplementary ranks	Corps Regimental Sergeant Major (one in a Corps), Battalion Regimental Sergeant Major (one in a battalion)	Battalion Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant (one in a battalion), Company Sergeant Major (one in a Company)	Company Quarter Master Sergeant (one in a Company)	Five in a Company	Fifteen in a Company	Fifteen in a Company

Medals

Medals authorized for award of SLCC and NCC officers by the President of Sri Lanka.^[4]

Service orders

• Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya (KSV) - 1990 - present

Commemorative medals

• Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal - 1974
• Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981
• Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal - 1999
• 75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023

In addition, SLCC/NCC officers seconded to or attached to the Sri Lanka Army for operational requirements would be eligible for Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

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, 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 1965–1968
• Lt Col EA Perusinghe ED 1968–69
• Bvt Col G. W. 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, VSV 1987–1991
• Col HW Senevirathna (Actg) 1991
• Brig Justus B Rodrigo, VSV 1991–1994
• Maj Gen T. N. De Silva, 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 2019-2022
• Brigadier G.S. Fonseka USP psc 2023-

See also

• Cadets (youth program)

References

External links

• Web site
• Disciplined citizens needed for country to prosper: PM