Sainik Schools notice a rise in girl applicants, but 10% cap holds them back

Sainik Schools, traditionally all-male institutions. that prepare students for the armed forces, opened admissions to girls in 2021. The decision intended to promote gender equality and prepare young women for the armed forces, has resulted in a noticeable surge in applications from girl students across the country. However, despite increasing interest and enthusiastic response from girl candidates, admissions remain restricted at just 10% of the total intake per batch.

 

There are currently 33 Sainik Schools across the country, all functioning under the Sainik Schools Society, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Centre has also approved the establishment of 100 new Sainik Schools in partnership with private entities through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. This is further expected to broaden access for girls, however, the cap on female enrolment remains a bottleneck, feel educators. Additionally, they also feel that adequate infrastructure needs to be taken of first.

 

Shortage of Female Teachers

There has been a steady rise in the number of applications from girls over the past three years, with many of them successfully clearing the entrance examination. “At present, the 10% reservation for girls in Sainik Schools is being implemented on an experimental basis. Also, the intake cannot be increased unless infrastructure is upgraded accordingly. The number of girls in these schools should be increased, however, the main constraint is the lack of adequate infrastructure in many of the older, existing schools. Another major issue is the shortage of female teachers across these institutions, which makes it difficult to manage a growing number of girl students. In our own school, we currently have around 40 girls studying up to class X. Managing them, especially as they grow up alongside boys during adolescence, is a sensitive and complex task. There should ideally be separate schools exclusively for girls, at least from class VI to X, as this is a critical developmental phase for students. By class XI and XII, students tend to be more mature, and co-education becomes more manageable,” says a teacher at a Sainik School in Purulia, West Bengal.

 

Other persistent issues include a lack of permanent faculty and counsellors, which is essential for providing a stable and supportive environment for girls. “While recruitment for permanent posts like Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) has recently started, there is still a lot that needs to be done,” she says, adding, “The MoD had initiated this process in 2021. Only after the first batch of girls reaches class XII, can we fully assess the success or challenges of the integration. Currently, no school has completed a full cycle of girls under this model. The decision to raise this cap rests with the MoD, and once the ongoing phase concludes in two years, the ministry will review the outcomes and consider expanding the intake of girl students.”

 

NDA Reservation
The 10% intake for girls is similar to NDA’s reservation for female candidates. Group Captain Madhu Sengar, principal, Sainik School Kapurthala, says, “The 10% intake for girls mirrors the NDA’s reservation for female candidates. The primary goal of Sainik Schools is to prepare students for the NDA. Since the NDA currently reserves only 10% of its seats for girls, the same ratio is reflected here. So, even if a school has 100 seats, only 10 can go to girl students, regardless of how many apply or qualify.”

 

Most of the girls admitted come from humble, often rural backgrounds and fall under reserved categories such as Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, or are children of serving personnel. Group Captain Sengar says, “Despite initial challenges, girl cadets have shown better adaptability and resilience. They usually settle in within three to four months, and many a times perform better than boys. Physical training is equal for all, from running and swimming to horse riding.”

 

While the dropout rate among girl cadets remains low, it may be mostly due to medical reasons. A former educator, Viveka School of Excellence, Sainik Schook, Mysuru, says, “Challenges do arise, especially concerning physical training expectations. Sometimes, students struggle initially with the demanding physical routine. In such cases, we offer modified routines such as yoga on a temporary basis. We also sometimes need to counsel hesitant parents, especially when concerns about safety or cultural norms arise. Dropout rates when it comes to girls are low, however, financial barrier remains an issue for many. Several students leave schools before completing their studies and training as they may develop interest in other streams.”