New Delhi: Parents who want to enroll their children in Sainik School can rejoice as the government has decided to open many new Sainik schools in the country. The Defense Ministry has completed the necessary preparations for this and has given its approval for the establishment of 23 new Sainik Schools in partnership with various entities. These schools will offer an ‘Academic Plus’ curriculum to the students of the Sainik School system, along with their regular affiliated board syllabus.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the new schools will be affiliated to the respective education boards and will operate under the guidance of the Sainik School Society. They will also follow the rules and regulations prescribed by the society for partnership with Sainik Schools. The statement said that the government has approved the initiative to establish 100 new Sainik Schools from class six to above in a phased manner in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and state governments.
23 new Sainik schools approved
The statement said that under this initiative, an MoU was signed by the Sainik School Society with 19 new Sainik Schools located across the country in August this year. After this, after evaluating the applications for opening new Sainik Schools in partnership, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the establishment of 23 new Sainik Schools through partnership on September 15.
The 23 new Sainik Schools are located in Andhra Pradesh (2), Assam (2), Bihar (1), Chhattisgarh (1), Gujarat (1), Haryana (1), Himachal Pradesh (1), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Jharkhand (1), Karnataka (2), Kerala (1), Madhya Pradesh (2), Maharashtra (2), Punjab (1) and Uttar Pradesh (2).
The number of Sainik Schools increased to 75
The ministry said that with this initiative, the number of new Sainik Schools running under the partnership mode under the aegis of the Sainik School Society has increased to 42, apart from the existing 33 Sainik Schools already functioning under the existing format. In this way, the number of Sainik Schools has increased to 75. “The objective behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of setting up 100 new Sainik Schools is to provide quality education to the students in line with the National Education Policy and provide them with better career opportunities including joining the armed forces,” the statement said. “
The statement also said that these schools will provide affordable education to students from rural areas and backward classes and will also help in increasing the representation of these sections in the armed forces. The admission process for these schools will be similar to that of existing Sainik Schools and will be based on merit and reservation policy. The students will have to appear for an entrance exam and a medical test before getting admission.
The statement further said that these schools will have a student-teacher ratio of 25:1 and will have well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sports facilities, and hostels. The schools will also have qualified and trained teachers and staff who will impart holistic education to the students. The schools will also have regular interaction with retired and serving officers of the armed forces who will mentor and motivate the students.
The statement added that these schools will also have a strong alumni network that will support and guide the students in their academic and career pursuits. The alumni will also contribute to the development and improvement of these schools through donations and sponsorships. The statement said that these schools will be a boon for the students who aspire to join the armed forces or pursue higher education in various fields.
