It is the dream of every National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadet to get the coveted citation of the NCC Director General.
A simple act of honesty has brought cadet M.S. Jishnu closer to this dream. His teachers recommended him for the honour — the first recommendation from the State in 13 years.
The boy had returned a two-and-a-half sovereign gold bracelet he had found on the road to his Commanding Officer, at the ongoing training camp of One Kerala NCC Battalion at Varkala. It has earned this NCC cadet respect not just among his peers but also his teachers who decided to nominate this Class 9 student of Government Higher Secondary School, Kilimanoor, for the citation of Director General (NCC).
Jishnu was assigned duty at the entrance gate of the camp at the Government Higher Secondary School, Pirappancode, which was also the venue for a PSC examination on June 13. “The boy found the bracelet near the gate and immediately came looking for me to hand it over. We identified the owner of the bracelet from among the candidates who appeared for the examination and retuned it,” said Commanding Officer Col. J. Nandakumar.
His logic
Jishnu’s logic is simple: “If I had lost a pencil which costs Rs.2, I would feel sad and would search for it till I find it. When I held the bracelet in my hand, I knew how worried the owner would be.” He is a cadet and it is his duty to remain true to his uniform, he says.
The owner too was overwhelmed and she gave the boy a gift. He was also honoured in the common parade, where Group Commander Col. G. Ramachandran Nair and Col. Nandakumar awarded him cash prize.
“He has been nominated for the citation because today such acts are rarely found in youth. They need to encouraged,” Col. Nandakumar said.
