New Delhi, Jan 5 (ANI): Five thousand NCC Cadets will help organise the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and selection process for this has already been completed and training for this purpose will start very soon, according to Director General NCC Lt Gen RK Karwal here today.

Addressing a news conference coinciding with the NCC Republic Day Camp 2010, Lt. General Karwal said that the NCC Delhi Directorate will start the Yamuna Pollution Awareness Campaign next month.

The earlier Ganga Pollution Awareness Campaign, organised from Haridwar to Bihar, was a huge success, he added.

Lt. General Karwal said that the Defence Ministry has approved a proposal to hire services of Ex-Servicemen to meet the shortage of Army officers in the NCC.

The Finance Ministry is examining the proposal at present, he added. It may be noted that the Government has approved raising the strength of NCC cadets from the present 13 lakhs to 15 lakhs.

Lt General Karwal said that the Ministry of Defence has also approved a proposal to raise the ratio of Girl cadets from present 23 percent to 33 percent.

He said that the number of cadets deputed under the Youth Exchange Programme will be doubled to 200 from next year.

The Vice President Mohd Hamid Ansari inaugurated the annual Republic Day Camp on Saturday. There are 1,950 cadets, both Boys and Girls, participating in the month-long camp. (ANI)