Sainik schools go co-ed: All-male bastion turns a liberal leaf
authorities of the four sainik schools in the region — Kapurthala (Punjab), Kunjpura (Haryana), Sujanpur Tira (Himachal Pradesh) and Nagrota (J&K) — are ready to roll out the red carpet for girl students, who can now join these elite institutions
The authorities of the four sainik schools in the region — Kapurthala (Punjab), Kunjpura (Haryana), Sujanpur Tira (Himachal Pradesh) and Nagrota (J&K) — are ready to roll out the red carpet for girl students, who can now join these elite institutions. Entrance tests have been conducted to select a batch of 10 girls each in Class 6. HT takes an overview of what changes are being made on the campus to the govt’s initiative aimed at a bigger participation of women in the armed forces.
‘Girls will get best and safe environs’
JALANDHAR/KAPURTHALA: Kapurthala Sainik School is gearing up to welcome the batch of girls in the 2021-22 academic session for the first time since its inception in 1961. The girls were allowed to take the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISEEE) for admission in Class 6. The school authorities have been busy in new recruitments and creating separate facilities for the girl students.
The 250-acre campus in the heart of Kapurthala city, the sainik school is housed in Jagatjit Palace of the erstwhile Kapurthala maharaja. It was inaugurated on July 8, 1961, by the then defence minister VK Krishna Menon. The school has produced more than 7,000 male officers for the Indian armed forces since.
The official spokesperson of school principal Col Prasant Saxena said changes in infrastructure have been made to cater to the needs of the girl students. “A separate hostel wing has been created. We have recruited women staff for hostel, nursing and physical training. The girl hostel has a landline telephone facility. We have been trying to provide the best and safest environment to girl students.” The spokesperson said the school management was elated to welcome the girl students who will trained to join the armed forces of the country. In this academic session, around 60 students, including 10 girls, will join the school in Class 6, while 12 students will join in Class 9.
The school was set up by then Punjab chief minister Partap Singh Kairon, who had brought two sainik schools to the state in 1961 — one at Kapurthala and another at Kunjpura in Karnal district (now in Haryana). There are a total of 625 seats for boys in the day boarding school, while staff children are day scholars and only daughters of school staff get admission. The lateral entry is allowed in the Class 9. The central and state governments also provide scholarship to students. In 2020, an alumnus of the school, gentleman cadet Akashdeep Singh Dhillon of Kairon village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour at the passing out parade for the Spring Term-2020 of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
‘Will produce women officers’
KARNAL/ KUNJPURA: Having produced several generals, including a chief of army staff, Sainik School Kunjpura (SSK) is now all set to welcome its first batch of girl students from the coming academic session. The school administration has made the required changes in infrastructure and done new recruitments teach and train the first batch of 10 girls in Class 6.
For the first time that the girls will be seen rubbing shoulders with boys on lush green campus of the SSK since it was set up as one of the five sainik schools of the country in 1961. The school authorities are excited and have made arrangements for a separate hostel, canteen, and co-educational classrooms with special focus on their safety.
The all India Sainik School Entrance Exam for admission to classes 6 and 9 was conducted on February 7 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to 33 sainik schools across the country.
School principal Col VD Chandola said, this time, 83 seats for boys and 10 seats for girls in Class 6 and 22 seats for boys in Class 9 were available at the SSK. “The study material and syllabus for girls will be the same. Besides the studies, military training will be given to girls to enable them to join as officers in the armed forces to fulfil government’s objective of enabling greater participation of women in forces,” he added. “The school is ready to welcome the first batch of girls. We have sent a request for allocation of ₹9.88 crore for the construction of a separate girls hostel, but till we get the budget for the new building, we have renovated a building for girls’ hostel”. According to Col Chandola, the women staff members are being appointed and the girls will be provided all facilities including hostel, canteen, physical training and counselling. “Admission will be made from April 1 as per the merit list sent by the NTA but the physical classes will start from July 1 due to Covid-19 restrictions,” the principal added.
Spread over 276 acres and having a perfect blend of modern and old architecture, the SSK has sent over 800 cadets to NDA and about 1,000 personnel to defence forces. It has won the Raksha Mantri Trophy nine times. Currently, the all-boys school has a strength of 620 from classes 6 to 12, and 100 to 120 new students join every year on April 1.
‘Excited to welcome girl students’
DHARAMSHALA/SUJANPUR TIRA: Even as the result of the February 7 entrance examination is still awaited, the scale of preparation to welcome new students at Sainik School Sujanpur Tira is bigger than the previous years. For the first time, the school will have a batch of girl students (maximum 10) in Class 6 in the ensuing academic year. While boys and girls will be admitted to Class 6, only boys will be admitted to Class 9, a school press release said.
Ten per cent of the admissions in the school will be reserved for girls. School officials said till the time new hostel for the girls is in place, they will be housed in the guest house or some other building on the campus. The girls will be given training similar to the boys. However, the number of girls joining the school will be known after the result of the entrance test is declared by the National Testing Agency, said school principal Capt Manoj Kumar Mahavar.
Set up in 1978, Sainik School Sujanpur Tira has a total student strength of 525. The school admits 100 students each academic year.
‘They will get top-class facilities, hostel ready’
JAMMU/NAGROTA: A feeder institution for the elite armed forces of India, officials at Sainik School Nagrota are busy in making arrangements to accommodate 10 girl students in Class 6 from the new academic session.
“We do have separate hostel, dormitories and wash rooms for girls. Some constructions are underway and they will be ready by the time new academic session begins,” an official said.
“After the results are announced by the NTA, eligible girl students will undergo medical test and those who clear it will get admission. To begin with, only 10 girl students will get admission. Usually it takes two months to complete the entire process. We are waiting for the results,” he said.
The official said the school was located with 16 Corps cantonment and is well secure. “We have a lady officer, who will cater to the needs of the girl students. Everything will be taken care of.”
The school was among the first five sainik schools set up in India and has produced around 800 officers since. In the last four years, around 24 students of the school cracked the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwalsa, Pune, exam and joined the elite academy.