New Delhi, 17 Jan : Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, visited the NCC Republic Day Camp 2023 at Delhi Cantt in New Delhi on January 17. This is for the first time a CDS has visited NCC Republic Day Camp. A contingent of all the three wings of the defence, namely Army, Navy and Air Force, presented an impressive 'Guard of Honour' to the Chief of Defence Staff on his arrival. NCC cadets thereafter presented a fine band display. The CDS also visited the 'Flag Area' prepared by the NCC cadets, depicting various social awareness themes and cultural activities. The cadets briefed him in detail about their respective State Directorate themes. The CDS also visited the recently renovated 'Hall of Fame', a proud possession of NCC with display of a rich archival collection of alumni photographs, models, motivational and other visual delights of the three wings of NCC. The Chief of Defence Staff along with other distinguished guests later witnessed a spectacular 'Cultural Programme' by the cadets in the NCC auditorium. Speaking on the occasion, the CDS underscored that from a humble beginning, the NCC has grown into a volunteer organisation of 17 lakh cadets. "Its contribution in inculcating the qualities of Discipline, Leadership and Camaraderie amongst the youth of this country is exemplary," he said. Highlighting the immense contributions of NCC in social awareness activities, CDS mentioned about 'Puneet Sagar Abhiyan' launched with the aim to clean up sea shores, beaches and remove and recycle plastic and other waste and spread awareness about need for clean and pristine beaches and hazards of plastic pollution. "The drive has caught the imagination of the public and till date approximately 13.5 lakh NCC cadets have participated in the Abhiyan and collected almost 208 tons of plastic waste out of which 167 tons has been sent for recycling," said General Chauhan. The CDS complimented NCC for its 75th year of selfless service to the nation. He also applauded the exceptional performance displayed by NCC cadets in various sports events. /IANS