After two-and-a -half years, efforts start again to set up new Sainik Schools in Uttar Pradesh
Director general of school education Kanchan Verma has sent a missive to the district magistrates of Agra, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Basti, Moradabad, Banda, Jhansi, Gonda, Ayodhya, Kanpur Nagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Mirzapur and Varanasi on September 12.
After two-and-a-half years, efforts have started once again to open Sainik Schools in all the divisional headquarters of Uttar Pradesh.
Director general of school education Kanchan Verma has sent a missive to the district magistrates of Agra, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Basti, Moradabad, Banda, Jhansi, Gonda, Ayodhya, Kanpur Nagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Mirzapur and Varanasi on September 12.
The missive, a copy of which is with HT, has sought proposals to convert existing government-run, government-aided and private schools as well as NGO-run schools etc into Sainik Schools on public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Earlier, proposals were also sought in January 2022 in this regard. Since then, only one new Sainik School has been established in Gorakhpur, which was inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on September 6. No initiative has been taken in the other 16 districts so far. Two years ago, in the budget, the central government had announced plans to open 100 Sainik Schools across the country on PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model. Apart from Gorakhpur, at present Sainik Schools are running only in Lucknow and Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh.
Once more Sainik Schools are set up in UP, the dream of youths aspiring to go into military services as commissioned officers will get wings.
To note, Sainik Schools Society (SSS) is an autonomous organisation under the union ministry of defence. The Society runs Sainik Schools, which are English medium residential schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Sainik Schools prepare cadets to join the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (Pune), Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala and other training academies for officers. At present there are a total of 33 Sainik Schools across the country.
Sainik Schools offer admission at the level of Class 6 and Class 9. Admission is based on the performance of candidates in the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE).
The union ministry of defence (MoD) has approved 18 New Sainik Schools across the country, which operate in partnership with NGOs/private schools/state governments. These approved New Sainik Schools function under the aegis of Sainik Schools Society. These approved New Sainik Schools offer admission to the Sainik School stream of Class 6, through AISSEE.
In the selection process for admission to these schools, a different concept from normal schools, the intellectual as well as physical, mental and medical abilities of children are assessed. The entire pattern is based on military-oriented education.