UPMSP Intermediate NCC cheat sheet

NCC was raised on 15 July 1948 under the NCC Act of 1948, following the recommendations of the Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru Committee (1946); the first Director General was Major General R. H. Q. H. M. B. Singh.

The motto is 'Unity and Discipline'; the NCC flag carries three vertical bands - red, light blue and dark blue - with the NCC crest in the centre, symbolising the three services (Army, Navy, Air Force).

Structure top-down: Directorate General NCC (New Delhi) → State Directorates headed by a Deputy Director General (DDG) → Group Headquarters under a Group Commander → Battalion/Unit under a Commanding Officer.

Three wings: Senior Division/Wing (university and college level) and Junior Division/Wing (school level); girls are enrolled in the same units, with separate Girls' Companies/Battalions where numbers warrant.

Training is graded: 'A' Certificate (after 2 years Junior Division), 'B' Certificate (after 2 years Senior Division), 'C Certificate (after 3 years Senior Division, or 2 years Senior Division plus the Senior Wing camp).

Cadets are motivated by the NCC's 'Aim' - to develop character, comradeship, discipline, leadership, secular outlook and the spirit of adventure, and to provide a pool of trained youth for the Armed Forces.

Incentives: 'C' Certificate holders get reservation/weightage in defence recruitment, bonus marks in some state services, and preference in the NCC Special Entry scheme for the Army; several states give cash awards and scholarships.

The NCC Song 'Ham Sab Hindi Hain' (lyrics by Sudarshan Fakir, music by Hemant Kumar) is sung at all NCC functions; the oath is taken in Hindi/English at enrolment.

National integration means the emotional and psychological unity of a diverse society, overcoming regional, linguistic, religious and caste differences while preserving cultural identity.

Constitutional pillars: Article 51A (Fundamental Duties) requires every citizen to respect the Constitution, the national flag and anthem, and to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood.

National symbols: the National Flag (Tiranga) - saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, green for faith and chivalry, Ashoka Chakra (24 spokes) for the wheel of law; the National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' (Rabindranath Tagore, 1911) plays for about 52 seconds.

The National Song is 'Vande Mataram' (Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, from Anandamath, 1882); the National Emblem is the Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, adopted 26 January 1950, with the motto 'Satyameva Jayate'.

Patriotism is loyalty to the nation and its constitutional values, not chauvinism; it is expressed through service, honesty, respect for law and defence of the country's integrity.

NCC contributes to integration through mixed-state camps, national-level Republic Day Camp (RDC) in Delhi, All India Treks, and inter-directorate exchanges that bring cadets from all regions together.

Communalism, casteism, linguism, regionalism and separatism are the main threats to national integration; NCC cadets counter them by example in their units and communities.

Dates to remember: Republic Day 26 January; Independence Day 15 August; NCC Day 15 July; National Integration Day 19 November (birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi).

Drill commands are of two kinds: 'cautionary' (preparatory, e.g., 'Squad', 'Battalion') and 'executive' (the actual order, e.g., 'Tham' / 'Halt', 'Chal' / 'March'); the executive command is given on the correct foot.

Basic positions: Savdhan (attention) - heels together, toes apart at 30°, body erect, arms straight at the sides, thumbs in line with the seam of the trousers; Vishram (stand at ease) - feet apart and hands behind, right hand over left.

Tez Chal (quick march) is 120 steps per minute with a 30-inch (76 cm) pace; Tham (halt) is given on the right foot and the squad halts on the next left foot.

Salute: the right hand is raised with palm flat, fingers together, tip of the middle finger touching the right eyebrow edge, elbow in line with the shoulder; the salute is held until the person saluting is acknowledged.

Turning: 'Right Turn' and 'Left Turn' are 90° turns on the right/left heel and toe; 'About Turn' is a 180° turn to the right, executed in two movements.

Ceremonial: the NCC flag is carried by the senior cadet of the unit; at a ceremonial parade the flag is dipped during the national anthem and the salute is given to the flag, not to individuals.

Words of command must be loud, clear and timed; a squad is formed in three ranks (front, centre, rear) with the tallest in the front rank; dressing is to the right.

On parade, the 'fall in' is the first order; 'line tor' (line to the right) and 'dress' align the squad; 'open order' increases the gap between ranks for inspection.

The .22 Deluxe Rifle is the standard NCC cadet weapon: bolt-action, single-shot, magazine-fed (5 rounds), effective range about 25–50 m on the range; the 7.62 mm SLR and 5.56 mm INSAS are used for familiarisation in some units.

Four safety rules: treat every weapon as loaded; keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction; keep the finger off the trigger until ready to fire; keep the weapon on 'safe' until the command to fire.

Parts of a rifle: butt, stock, receiver, bolt, barrel, muzzle, foresight, backsight, trigger, trigger guard, magazine, sling; the bore is cleaned from the breech end with a pull-through and oiled lightly.

Aiming: the eye, the backsight and the foresight are aligned on the target ('sight alignment and sight picture'); breathing is stopped at the natural pause, and the trigger is squeezed, not jerked.

Firing positions: standing, kneeling, sitting and lying (prone); prone is the steadiest and is used for the 25 m grouping and application practices.

Range procedure: the Range Officer's commands are 'Load', 'Ready', 'Fire', 'Stop', 'Unload'; a red flag means 'cease fire', and no one moves forward until the 'all clear' is given.

Marksmanship scores: in the .22 rifle 25 m practice, the bull is the inner ring; grouping is measured as the distance between the two farthest shots - a tight group is the mark of a good firer.

Zeroing adjusts the backsight so that the point of aim coincides with the point of impact; the rifle is zeroed before any classification practice.

A map is a scaled representation of the ground seen from above; the Representative Fraction (RF) is the ratio of map distance to ground distance, e.g., 1:50,000 means 1 cm on the map = 500 m on the ground.

Scale types: statement (1 cm = 500 m), RF (1:50,000) and graphical (linear) scale; the graphical scale remains valid if the map is enlarged or reduced.

Grid references: a four-figure reference gives a 1 km square (eastings first, then northings); a six-figure reference gives a 100 m square by dividing the square into tenths.

Contours join points of equal height; closely spaced contours mean a steep slope, widely spaced mean a gentle slope; hachures and form lines show relief where contours are absent.

Conventional signs: blue for water, green for vegetation, brown for relief, black for man-made features and names, red for roads and boundaries on some maps.

North references: True North (geographic pole), Magnetic North (compass needle) and Grid North (vertical grid lines); magnetic variation is the angle between true and magnetic north and changes with place and time.

Field craft: use of ground and cover, camouflage and concealment, silent movement, judging distance (unit-of-measure, section-of-ground, appearance and sound methods), and section/patrol formations.

Compass: the prismatic compass gives a magnetic bearing in degrees; a back bearing differs by 180° (add or subtract 180°); the lensatic compass is used for quick bearings on the move.

Adventure activities in the NCC include trekking, mountaineering, rock climbing, rappelling, river rafting, parasailing, gliding and cycle/motorcycle expeditions; cadets must be medically fit and trained before participation.

Camp layout: tents are pitched on level, well-drained ground, away from trees and water channels; the camp area is divided into accommodation, cookhouse, latrine, water point and administrative areas.

Tent types: the pyramid tent (2–4 persons), the hexagonal tent (6–10 persons), and the ridge tent; guy ropes are pegged at about 45° and trenches are dug around tents in the rainy season.

Knots and lashings: clove hitch (fastening to a spar), bowline (a loop that will not slip), sheet bend (joining two ropes of unequal thickness), reef knot (joining two ends of equal thickness), and square/ diagonal lashings for camp gadgets.

Camp hygiene: refuse is buried or burned away from the water source, latrines are dug at least 30 m from water, and drinking water is boiled or chlorinated.

Fire safety: fires are lit only in cleared areas, never left unattended, and extinguished with water and earth before leaving; a fire bucket and sand bucket are kept ready in camp.

Injury prevention in adventure: warm-up before activity, buddy system, check harnesses and ropes before climbing, and follow the instructor's signals; a first-aid kit and communication link are mandatory.

The 'leave no trace' principle: carry out all litter, avoid cutting live trees, and restore the campsite before departure.

First aid is immediate, temporary care given before professional medical help; the priorities are Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABC), then bleeding control, then shock prevention.

CPR for an adult: 30 chest compressions (5–6 cm deep, 100–120 per minute) followed by 2 rescue breaths; continue until help arrives or the casualty recovers.

Bleeding: apply direct pressure with a clean dressing, elevate the limb, and use a tourniquet only when direct pressure fails; record the time the tourniquet is applied.

Fractures: immobilise the limb in the position found, using a splint and sling; do not attempt to reset the bone; check circulation beyond the splint.

Burns: cool with clean running water for about 20 minutes, cover with a sterile non-stick dressing, and never apply oil, butter or toothpaste; do not burst blisters.

Snake bite and dog bite: keep the victim still and the bitten limb below heart level, do not cut or suck the wound, and wash a dog bite with soap and water and get anti-rabies treatment immediately.

Health and hygiene: wash hands with soap, drink safe water, eat a balanced diet, exercise daily, sleep 7–8 hours, avoid tobacco/alcohol, and keep the body and uniform clean; immunisation protects against tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis.

Heat illness: heat exhaustion shows heavy sweating and weakness - move to shade and give oral rehydration; heat stroke (dry hot skin, confusion) is an emergency - cool rapidly and hospitalise.

NCC social service activities include blood donation camps, tree plantation, cleanliness drives (Swachh Bharat), adult literacy, road safety campaigns, anti-drug and anti-AIDS awareness, and village adoption.

Blood donation: a healthy donor aged 18–65, weighing above 50 kg, can donate every 3 months; the donated blood is screened for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria.

Tree plantation: saplings are planted at the onset of the monsoon, with a spacing of about 3–5 m for shade trees; after-care (watering, fencing, weeding) decides survival.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (launched 2 October 2014) aims at a clean India through solid waste management, toilet construction and community participation; cadets lead by example in their localities.

Community development means improving the quality of life of a community through education, health, sanitation, employment and infrastructure, with the people's participation.

Cadets can support disaster-affected people through relief collection, traffic control, first aid and crowd management under the direction of the district administration.

Awareness campaigns are most effective when planned: identify the target group, prepare simple messages, use local language and local leaders, and follow up with action.

Social service builds leadership and citizenship; records of service are entered in the cadet's diary and count towards the 'C' certificate assessment.

Civil defence is the protection of civilians in war and emergencies: air-raid precautions, blackout, fire fighting, rescue, first aid, and care of the injured and homeless.

Disaster management follows the cycle: mitigation and preparedness before a disaster, response during it, and recovery/rehabilitation after it.

India's disaster management framework: the Disaster Management Act 2005 created the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force); the NDRF has battalions for specialised response.

Earthquake: 'Drop, Cover and Hold' - drop under a sturdy table, cover the head and neck, hold on; after the shaking, move to open ground and avoid damaged buildings and electric wires.

Flood: move to higher ground, avoid crossing flowing water (even 15 cm of moving water can knock a person down), drink only boiled or chlorinated water, and watch for snakes and water-borne disease.

Fire: raise the alarm, call the fire service, use a fire extinguisher (PASS - Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) only on small fires, stay low under smoke, and never use water on electrical or oil fires.

Cyclone: listen to warnings, secure loose objects, store food and water, and evacuate to a cyclone shelter when advised; do not go out during the 'eye' of the storm.

First responders: the 'golden hour' - the first 60 minutes after injury - is the most critical period for saving life; cadets should know the emergency numbers (112, 108 ambulance, 101 fire).

Personality is the sum of a person's physical, mental, emotional and social traits; it develops through heredity, environment, education and conscious effort.

Leadership is the ability to influence others towards a goal; styles are autocratic (task-focused), democratic (participative) and laissez-faire (free rein); the democratic style usually builds the best team morale.

Qualities of a good leader: integrity, courage, initiative, judgement, knowledge, loyalty, selflessness and the ability to communicate clearly.

Communication process: sender → message → channel → receiver → feedback; barriers include noise, language, prejudice and poor listening; active listening means paying full attention and confirming understanding.

Time management: set priorities (urgent vs important), plan the day, avoid procrastination, delegate where possible, and review progress.

Team building: define roles, set common goals, encourage participation, resolve conflicts early, and give credit for success while taking responsibility for failure.

Public speaking: know the audience, prepare an outline (opening, body, conclusion), practise aloud, maintain eye contact, control pace and use simple language.

Stress management: regular exercise, adequate sleep, balanced diet, breathing exercises and hobbies; a positive attitude and realistic goals reduce stress.