Sainik Schools, NDA Open its Door To Girls.

Sainik Schools, a male bastion ever since the first one of them opened some 55 years ago, is now considering a proposal to give admission to girl students.

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in Lok Sabha “There is a suggestion from the (Parliamentary) Standing Committee, there have been PILs and many members have also suggested… Sainik Schools prepare students for NDA, and the NDA is not taking girl cadets,”.

“This is a matter under consideration whether to give admission to girls in Sainik Schools as well as the NDA,” he added.

According to the report, in Bhubaneswar, the Ministry has decided to allow girls in Sainik Schools after developing required infrastructure and staff. Following an order of Rajasthan High Court, the Defence Ministry has decided to admit girl cadets in the Sainik Schools within the authorised strength.

Before admitting the girls, the Centre has asked the Orissa government to develop required infrastructure for the girls like a separate hostel, adequate security arrangements like boundary wall or barbed wire fencing.

The ministry also urged the state government to ensure adequate wash rooms for girls both in the hostel as well as academic building, swimming pool and auditorium. Separate medical examination rooms as girl ward and detention rooms should be created at school hospital.
The Sainik Schools would also recruit lady nursing assistant, female

The Sainik Schools would also recruit lady nursing assistant, female counsellor, lady physical education instructor and matron for the girl’s hostels in the proportion of one per 100 girls.

The Minister, Subhash Bhamre said there are at present 26 Sainik Schools, and 21 more are at different stages of approval. Of these 21, Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been signed for nine schools, three have been given in-principle approval, and nine are in “process of examination”.

By: Simran Dhingra