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The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is unarguably the oldest uniformed youth organisation in India. Over the last 75 years it has acted as a critical bridge between the educational system and national safety, security and growth. This article aims to provide a comprehensive academic analysis of the growth of the NCC within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from its legislative inception in 1948 to the projected expansions by the year 2026. While assessing the compilation of historical enrolment data, this study critically examines the volatile compulsory training era of 1960s, the shift toward voluntarism, thereafter and the more recent andldquo;Gender Parity Initiativeandrdquo;, driven by the introduction of Mixed Units. A special focus is laid on the Certificate andlsquo;Candrsquo; being the primary catalyst for enrolment while analysing its role in providing career incentives for jobs within the Armed Forces, paramilitary organisations as well as the civilian sector. Furthermore, the article explores the integration of the NCC pedagogy into the national curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, as it has been a fundamental tool for human capital development and nation-building. The research adopts a qualitative synthesis approach by collating data from contemporary print news media and analysis longitudinal enrolment statistics of the NCCandrsquo;s Senior Division and Senior Wing. By integrating these records with an analysis of the broader national scenario, the paper attempts to interpret the organisational impact of NCC through the lens of enrolment record and historical event trends. This methodology declares that its findings are derived from a situational synthesis and detailed analysis of evolving societal patterns, thereby providing a fresh perspective to complement traditional empirical research.

Happiness consists of positive emotions, including joy and fulfillment. A significant portion of psychological studies has focused on understanding and addressing traumas, mental disorders, and the management of negative feelings. Consequently, it has overlooked the potentials that can be realized through leveraging our inherent strengths to enhance the quality of human life. Socio-economic status (SES) refers to the social and economic standing of an individual or group within society. It is usually assessed through a combination of factors such as income level, educational attainment, type of occupation, wealth accumulation, health quality, and access to social participation. Since school teachers are an integral part of Indiaandrsquo;s work force, therefore it was considered necessary to explore happiness across different socio-economic groups of school teachers. The present study used a descriptive survey research design. Respondents included 311 school teachers teaching at primary, secondary and senior secondary levels in government and private schools across six districts namely Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Gurdaspur of Punjab, India. The results suggest that there is a significant difference in the mean scores of happiness among school teachers on the basis of their socio-economic status. In particular, teachers from higher socio-economic backgrounds reported notably higher happiness scores.