ITANAGAR, OCT 13:

The 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), under NCC Group Headquarters (Bravo), Tezpur, conducted a Survival Day programme as part of the Rising Sun Trek (NER Trek-I), bringing together 550 cadets from five NCC directorates.

The participating cadets represent the North Eastern Region Directorate, West Bengal and Sikkim Directorate, Bihar and Jharkhand Directorate, Odisha Directorate, and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Directorate.

The programme combined outdoor survival training with cultural exchange to promote teamwork, self-reliance and national integration.

Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister P D Sona graced the occasion. Commanding Officer of 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion NCC Col Samudra Vijay Sarma welcomed him and presented a memento on behalf of the cadets to commemorate the Survival Day training.

Interacting with the cadets, Sona highlighted the importance of physical activity, resilience and teamwork in personality development. He also underscored the role of the NCC in fostering national integration and cultural awareness, appreciating the strong sense of patriotism among people living in border states such as Arunachal Pradesh.

As part of the cultural exposition, local villagers showcased their traditional attire, providing cadets from different states an opportunity to interact with the community and learn about the cultural heritage of local tribes.

The Survival Day activities featured crew cooking and tent-pitching competitions, in which cadets worked in groups to demonstrate endurance, resourcefulness and cooperation under outdoor conditions. The activities aimed to equip them with practical skills for adaptability and self-reliance while developing leadership and resource-management abilities.

The culinary exchange added a distinctive cultural dimension to the programme, with cadets preparing regional dishes, including bamboo rice from Arunachal Pradesh, eromba from Manipur, akhuni chutney from Mizoram, kosum from Assam, litti chokha from Bihar, pakhala bhata from Odisha and poha from Madhya Pradesh, among others.

The programme sought to make survival training an engaging, experiential learning exercise while strengthening camaraderie among cadets from different parts of the country. By combining adventure, practical training and cultural immersion, the initiative reinforced the NCC’s broader objective of nurturing confident, adaptable and responsible young citizens who appreciate India’s unity in diversity.

The cadets expressed happiness at the opportunity to visit Arunachal Pradesh and experience its cultural heritage.