Overview
- The Indian Air Force evacuated 132 National Cadet Corps cadets on May 23, flying 60 to Jorhat and 72 to Guwahati after their NCC North Eastern Region flying camp in Imphal concluded on May 20.
- Authorities said road movement in Manipur was unsafe because of security disruptions, which made the airlift the fastest and safest option to return the students to Assam.
- The operation was planned by the NCC NER Directorate in consultation with the Director General NCC and executed in coordination with Headquarters Eastern Air Command using three AN-32 transport aircraft.
- Officials and families reported the cadets reached their destinations in time for upcoming examinations, and the NCC NER posted on X thanking the Ministry of Defence, the IAF and NCC for the swift assistance.
- The mission highlights how military air transport and interagency coordination are used as contingency tools in the Northeast when ground routes are blocked, a recurring challenge for travel to and from Imphal.