Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School at Vrindavan in Mathura, describing it as a beacon of light for girls who aspire to join the armed forces and serve the motherland.
The first all-girls Sainik School, with a strength of about 870 students, has been inaugurated under the initiative of establishing 100 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode with NGOs/Private/State Government Schools in all State/Union Territories, of which 42 have been set up. These are in addition to the existing 33 Sainik Schools already functioning under the erstwhile pattern.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has given women their rightful place in the Armed Forces, which was neglected for years. They have the right to protect the nation just like their male counterparts. It was a golden moment in the history of women empowerment when we approved the admission of girls to Sainik Schools. Today, our women are not only flying fighter jets, they are also securing the borders,” Mr Singh said.
It may be recalled that the defence minister had, in 2019, approved admission of girl children to Sainik schools, w.e.f., academic session 2021-22 in a phased manner. The decision was taken following the success of the pilot project started by the Ministry of Defence in Sainik School Chhingchhip in Mizoram.
The objectives behind the vision of setting up of 100 new Sainik Schools are to provide quality education to the students in tune with the National Education Policy 2020 and give them better career opportunities, including joining the Armed Forces.
It also gives an opportunity to the private sector to work hand-in-hand with the Government towards nation building by refining today’s youth to become responsible citizens of tomorrow.