How Assam Rifles is forging youthful futures in Nagaland through education

Assam Rifles is assisting National Integrity Education Development Organisation (NIEDO) in providing coaching to deserving students for JEE and IIT entrance examinations. Axis Bank is providing sponsorship to the initiative of one-year residential coaching program to provide a better tomorrow to meritorious students from all over Nagaland.

The NIEDO–Assam Rifles project has been one of the major ingredients in shaping the professional life of most of the Naga boys and girls from economically backward families by providing them an opportunity to avail quality education. It also offers counseling, thus helping the students not only to prepare for competitive examinations but also to become good citizens.

Assam Rifles, Axis Bank, and NIEDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2022 for the establishment of the "Late Capt N Kengurüse, Mahavir Vir Chakra (MVC) Centre of Excellence and Wellness" at Chieswema, Kohima. Capt Kengurüse of 2 Rajputana Rifles, a native of Nagaland from the Kohima district, made the ultimate sacrifice in the Kargil War when he single-handedly destroyed an well-entrenched medium machine gun bunker. He was posthumously awarded India's second-highest gallantry award for the act of supreme valour.

The institute prepares students for extremely competitive exams such as NEET and JEE. The project has been initiated in 2022 by inducting 30 talented students from the entire Nagaland. The applicants underwent a highly rigorous testing procedure to pick the crème de la crème. The project has been established as a one-year, fully residential coaching and mentoring institute for NEET and JEE exams. Experienced and trained teaching faculty members of NIEDO impart the syllabus, and quality education is delivered. The collaborative effort of NIEDO and Assam Rifles has greatly benefited the people of Nagaland, especially the youth. Following the success of Chieswema centre, Assam Rifles and NIEDO have expanded their efforts to other locations. In August 2024, the same effort was expanded to Ghaspani (Medziphema) with the inauguration of Subedar PB Chhetri, Kirti Chakra Centre of Excellence.

Subedar Chhetri of 7 Assam Rifles received India's second-highest civilian award for leading his troops during an anti-terror operation in J&K at 14,000 feet. During the operation, 72 of the well-trained terrorists, who had come back to J&K after being trained in ISI-funded camps in PoJK, were eliminated and 13 others were arrested.