Students of madrassas or Islamic seminaries in Bihar will soon be able to join activities under the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and Scouts and Guides.

The Bihar State Madrassa Education Board has received a clearance from the state administration for the purpose.

"We have decided to introduce NCC and the Scouts and Guides in over 500 madrassas this year," board president Abdul Wahid Ansari told IANS.

To begin with, only madrassas having an open field would be chosen.

The NCC aims to build discipline in students and make strong leaders out of them. Cadets receive military training as well. During India's wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, NCC cadets acted as the second line of defence.

"The NCC and Scouts and Guides will give the children a get chance to interact with students outside madrassas. It will be a valuable exposure to the world outside the seminaries," Ansari said.

The board approved NCC and Scouts and Guides activities in madrassas last year but clearance from the state government took time. Ansari said the board plans to bring all madrassas in the state under the NCC and Scouts and Guides within three years.

Bihar has over 4,000 madrassas, including 1,119 state-run Islamic schools where the staff is paid by the government. About 2,500 are affiliated to the board and the remaining manage funds through donations.

Already the board has introduced computers and laboratories in some seminaries in an effort to modernise education in the madrassas. It also plans to start a one-year diploma course in Unani or herbal medicine so that students can earn a living as traditional health practitioners or hakims.