UP Sainik School in Lucknow opens its gates for girls, first time in 57 years

The UP Sainik School is the first of 28 Sainik Schools and 5 military schools to have allowed enrolment of girl cadets.

The UP Sainik School in Lucknow lost its all-boys institution tag on Friday when it admitted 15 girl cadets for the first time in 57 years.

The newly admitted girls of UP Sainik School in Lucknow pose before a Vijayanta tank in he school premises on Friday. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

Principal Col Amit Chatterjee said the girl cadets, who have “a dream to join the country’s armed forces, formally attended the first lesson”.

The girls have been admitted from class 9 as against the norm of admitting boys from class 7 as authorities felt that girls of this age will be mature enough to cope with the ‘sainik’ environment.

After addressing the cadets, Col Chatterjee expressed confidence that in the coming years, they would bring laurels not only to the institution but to the nation, by contributing immensely as defence officers.

With beaming smiles and lit-up eyes, the girls did not miss the opportunity to climb on the two Vijayanta tanks kept as trophies at the entrance of the 57-year-old institution, the first army school to be opened in the country. Later, 27 other such schools were established across India.

“We are among the first of 28 Sainik Schools and 5 military schools that allowed enrolment of girl cadets from the 2018-19 academic session,” Col Chatterjee said.

“A joint effort was made by the UP government and the school administration to reach this historical decision and facilitate girl students to get defence training,” he said.

The newly admitted girl cadets of UP Sainik School in Lucknow march in the school premises on Friday. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

Girls Excited

“This is indeed incredible that my childhood fascination has become a reality,” said Parul Pal, a girl cadet who hails from Orai.

“This is a beginning of a new era of this glorious institution and I belong to the first batch,” she said.

Her brother, Sumit Pal graduated from this school as the ‘best cadet’ in 2016.

For her classmate Anubhuti Singh, it is a whole new experience. Shubhangi Chahal of Meerut, too, was extremely happy to get admission.

There are 15 girl cadets in the school. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

There are nearly 450 cadets of which 15 are now girls and the remaining boys, school headmaster Lt Col Vijay Rana said.

The UP Sainik School is named after martyr Captain Manoj Pandey.