(MENAFN- IANS) Gandhinagar, July 24 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate a newly built NCC Leadership Academy at Navli in Anand district on July 25, marking a step in the government's efforts to foster discipline, leadership, and national service among youth.

Spread across 15 acres, the academy is envisioned as a hub for nurturing responsible citizens through modern military-style training.

Developed under the Gujarat government, the academy is the third of its kind in the state, following those in Ahmedabad and Rajpipla, and will operate under the Vallabh Vidyanagar Group Headquarters of the NCC.

In its first phase, the academy has been established at a cost of Rs 5 crore, with residential and training facilities for 200 cadets.

Once the second phase - worth Rs 25 crore - is completed, the facility will have the capacity to train 600 cadets, making it Gujarat's largest NCC academy.

The academy features rock climbing walls, obstacle courses, a firing range, digital classrooms, and a full-fledged drill ground - ensuring both mental and physical readiness in line with modern standards of youth training.

According to NCC officials, this academy is not just an infrastructure project but a strategic investment in character-building for India's future generations. From July 28, the academy will begin hosting its first programs, including a Youth Disaster Preparedness Camp and a Combined Annual Training Camp. Over time, regular NCC camps will also be held at the campus.

Speaking ahead of the inauguration, Col. Manish Bhola, Commanding Officer of the 4 Gujarat NCC Battalion, noted that the expanded capacity will not only boost Gujarat's cadet strength - currently at 75,000, aiming for 85,000 - but will also play a key role in preparing cadets for national-level events like the Republic Day Parade in Delhi. Selection for such prestigious platforms will now take place directly from this academy.

So far, Gujarat's NCC has conducted over 135 military training camps and 45+ social awareness camps, engaging more than 1.9 lakh students. The state has seen 20 cadets commissioned as officers and 213 enrolled as Agniveers.

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