Kottayam: The Kerala government’s failure to release the food allowance for National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets has left schools and colleges struggling to support nearly 80,000 students enrolled in the programme. The payments have been pending for over 18 months.

As per guidelines, each cadet is entitled to a refreshment allowance of ₹60 per parade in schools and ₹120 in colleges. High school cadets typically attend around 40 parades annually, while higher secondary and college cadets participate in approximately 20. However, the disbursal of this allowance was disrupted during the 2023–24 financial year.

With no funds released, educational institutions have had to bear the cost of providing food for cadets during training parades. The outstanding reimbursement now stands at nearly ₹21 crore.

Following repeated complaints from NCC officers, the government had released funds in June last year to clear dues up to November. However, many NCC units across the state are yet to receive the promised amount. The Department of Higher Education is tasked with managing the NCC programme in Kerala.

Adding to the concerns, the state’s share of the honorarium for Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) has not been paid for the past two and a half years. These officers supervise and coordinate NCC activities at their institutions and are entitled to an honorarium jointly funded by the central and state governments. While the central government has been releasing its share on time, the state’s contribution remains pending.

Honoraria for Associate Officers vary based on their rank, ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 in schools and ₹2,500 to ₹4,500 in colleges.

NCC presence in Kerala
School units: 646
College units: 234
Total cadets: 80,000

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