NEW DELHI: The number of seats in the National Defence College (NDC) will be increased from 100 to 120 within the next two years due to the huge demand from friendly foreign countries, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said on Wednesday.
Additional seats will be given to Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh when the capacity is increased from next year, Kumar mentioned at a press conference.
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Maldives have been offered seats for the first time in the NDC’s one-year course from next year, he added.
Officials of the armed forces from Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh and other 18 friendly foreign countries have been participating in NDC’s annual strategic leadership course till now.
Out of the current capacity of 100 seats in the course, 25 seats are reserved for officials from these 21 foreign countries, while the remaining 75 seats are for senior officials of the Indian armed forces and the Indian civil services.
“We will be increasing the capacity of NDC from 100 to 110 in 2021 and then from 110 to 120 in 2022,” Kumar said.
“This has been done keeping in mind the huge demand from friendly foreign countries. Necessary infrastructure is being added at NDC to meet this requirement,” he added.
On being asked if the number of seats in NDC will be increased further from 120, he said the decision regarding this issue will be taken keeping in consideration the demand in the coming two years.
Kumar said NDC has planned its Diamond Jubilee celebrations on November 5 and 6 when it would be organising a two-day webinar on the topic of “India’s National Security: The Decade Ahead”.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver the keynote address at the two-day webinar, Kumar stated. (AGENCIES)
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