Sainik Schools To Be Open For Girls As Well, Says PM Modi In Independence Day Speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech on Independence Day, announced that all Sainik Schools in the country will now be open for girls also. "India's daughters are eager to take their place," Modi said in his speech on August 15.

"I got messages from lakhs of girls from across the country expressing their desire to study in Sainik Schools. Hence, the government has decided that all such schools across the country will now be open for girls as well," the PM added.

Some Facts About Sainik Schools

These schools are managed by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). A brainchild of V K Krishna Menon, who was the then defence minister, these schools were established to prepare the students from an early age for their entry into the Indian armed forces.

There are 33 such schools present all over the country. While Uttar Pradesh has three Sainik Schools, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan have two schools each.

Admission Test Conducted For Selection

For admission to these centres, an All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) is conducted. They follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. For classes 6 and 9, students are granted admission on the basis of their performance in the entrance exam. For Cass 11, students are admitted on the basis of marks scored in Class 10 board exams.

About 67 per cent of seats are reserved for students who are from the home state of a Sainik School. The remaining 33 per cent of students are admitted from outside the home state. In her Budget speech this year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that 100 new "Sainik Schools" will come up across the country in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and states.

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