Defence, NCC & NSS — PPSC previous year questions

The National Cadet Corps was formed under the NCC Act, 1948 (Act XXXI of 1948, assented on 16 April 1948) and came into existence on 16 July 1948, on the recommendation of the H.N. Kunzru Committee; some sources print 15 July, but the NCC's own date is 16 July. The first unit was raised at Delhi by Prime Minister Nehru on the fourth Sunday of November 1948, which is why NCC Day is observed on that day each year. If a paper offers 16 April 1948, that is the date of the Act, not of the Corps.

The National Cadet Corps is headquartered in New Delhi and is headed by a Director General of three-star rank. It works under the Ministry of Defence, with 17 directorates across the states; Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Chandigarh come under the PHHP&C Directorate at Chandigarh.

The teeth-to-tail ratio compares the fighting troops (the 'teeth') with the support staff who supply, transport and maintain them (the 'tail'). It is a rough measure of how much of a force is actually available for combat.

The ECHS (Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme) was launched on 1 April 2003 to give quality healthcare to ex-servicemen pensioners and their dependents through polyclinics and empanelled hospitals, and it was expanded in October 2010. Statement 4 is wrong because the scheme is funded fully by the Central Government (Ministry of Defence), not shared with the states.

India's No First Use doctrine (2003) says nuclear weapons will be used only to hit back after a nuclear attack on India, which can come only from a nuclear-weapon state. India also promises never to use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear-weapon state, so statement 1 is wrong.

The Ashok Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award, the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra. The Shaurya Chakra is a lower peacetime gallantry award, while the PVSM and AVSM are given for distinguished service, not bravery.

AFSPA stands for the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, which gives special powers to the armed forces in areas declared 'disturbed'. It applies in parts of the North-East and, under a separate 1990 Act, Jammu and Kashmir, and has been in the news over demands for its repeal.

The Indian Army has no 'North Eastern Command'; the north-east falls under the Eastern Command (Kolkata). The Army's seven commands are Northern (Udhampur), Western (Chandimandir), Central (Lucknow), Eastern (Kolkata), Southern (Pune), South Western (Jaipur) and the Army Training Command, ARTRAC (Shimla).

In drill, the Quick March is executed at 120 paces per minute with a pace of 30 inches (about 75 cm). Slow March is 70 paces per minute, and Double March about 180 paces per minute with a longer 40-inch running pace. These cadences are used in NCC, police and military drill.

The National Service Scheme (NSS) was launched on 24 September 1969, the birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi, by the Union Education Ministry, initially in 37 universities. Its motto is 'Not Me But You' and it aims at developing students' personality through community service. NSS Day is celebrated on 24 September.