MADURAI: India’s great patriotism building organization among school and college students- National Cadet Corps (NCC)-seems to be facing some serious issues that are affecting its smooth functioning in Madurai as colleges and schools are strongly objecting to the new rules, unilateral working style and complained about the insulting words of Col.Samit Karki, Officer Commanding, 7 (TN) battalion of NCC here.
While a few colleges and schools have expressed their practical difficulties about the new rules being brought by him locally, at least seven Associated NCC Officers (ANOs) in various colleges have recently stepped down from their passionate NCC duty and one college had written an open letter to the Officer Commanding of NCC telling him that they are refusing to take honorarium for their work due to the demoralizing words being used by the Commanding Officer in NCC meetings.
Official sources told ‘Lotus Times’ media today that The Madura College had written a letter on November 7th 2025 informing the Commanding Officer of 7 (TN) Battalion NCC that they are not interested to take their NCC honorairum till his term is completed because the words used by him affects the college staff’s character and loyalty.
“We are not willing to collect our honorarium during the period of present Officer Commanding Col.Samit Karki because he made sarcastic / hurting comments against Associated NCC Officers in his very first meeting held at Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College in Madurai on July 4th 2025. He said that we are conducting only 50 per cent of the parades and that refreshments were not provided to the cadets during those parades. These statements are highly questioning the integrity of ANOs who toiled for the great performance of 7 (TN) BN NCC in Madurai and our young cadets,” the letter written by The Madura College had pointed out.
MORE INSULTING AND MORE HURTING:
What was more hurting for the NCC officers in colleges and schools was the comment made by Officer Commanding Mr.Samit Karki that “NCC officers are for minting money and making money by not giving refreshments to cadets in parades. He is telling this in open meetings regularly and it affected our morale. Several ANOs who were in that meeting had condemned his words but this Officer Commanding (OC) is still using the same language. We dont’ want to take honorarium from him as long as he is the OC here for NCC and whatever received in our account will be returned to the battalion account,” the Madurai College letter has said in its anguish letter.
Another issue raised by several colleges in Madurai is that the Officer Commanding is framing new rules locally by deviating from the working policies laid down by the Directorate General of NCC at national level for educational institutions.
“He says that NCC officers of educational institutions should report to the Officer Commanding once in 15 days. This is not feasible and it is not a regular practice till now. ANOs are regular teachers and they have a working schedule in their colleges. He is also insisting on GST bills for expenses made to our cadets towards refreshments etc. This is an education service and already there is a notification that GST is not applicable for us,” the letter written by Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College has said.
HOW CAN WE TAKE VIDEOS?
A few school Principals have expressed their grievance that the present Officer Commanding of NCC is insisting on video calls and video recording to show the face of each and every cadet who participate in the parade.
“We would like to inform that such video recording in educational institutions is strictly banned by the Education Department and how can we take videos which he is insisting,” a school Headmaster has asked in his letter dated September 15th 2025 and he also stressed that government recognized educational institutions are exempted from GST as per central tax notification given in 2017.
The Principal of Thiagarajar College in Madurai had also written a letter to the Commanding Officer of 7 (TN) Battalaion NCC stating that NCC officers from the college can attend important events and parades of NCC but not once in 15 days.
Sources in NCC headquarters in Madurai have said that the staff and cadets are deeply anguished and demotivated right now because of the working manner of present Commanding Officer and the questions he is raising about refreshments and GST bills etc even though the campuses are committed for the great patriotic work for the country.
“A school Headmaster has said in his letter that their institution is providing very good breakfast items and eatables for the NCC cadets than what is being stressed by the Officer Commanding of Madurai NCC with his refreshments list to cadets by citing some guidelines. We are already giving nutritious food for last several years in Madurai,” official sources said on November 10th 2025.
