For the purpose of promoting discipline, physical fitness and a patriotic outlook in regular schools, the HRD Ministry is recommended by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to include elements of military schools (Sainik Schools). On July 20, PMO held a meeting for discussing this proposal which was attended by senior HRD officials.
The MHRD is well-known to be trying out new ways to inculcate elements from Sainik Schools in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) curriculum. The ministry has talked to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over the PMO proposal. Currently, the board is affiliating around 20,000 schools across the country.
Ministry is thinking that it would be rather easier to replicate such elements in JNVs, which are residential schools, as per the sources. These centrally-funded schools impart quality education to talented students who qualify the entrance test, coming from rural areas.
Former Defense Minister V K Krishna Menon had set up Sainik Schools back in 1961 with the with the objective of preparing youngsters for the defense services. Students at these residential schools have to join the National Cadet Corps (NCC), along with studies and are subjected to rigorous physical training, lead disciplined lives and are infused with patriotic values. Under the Ministry of Defense, there are about 25 such schools working presently.
For the purpose of full-scale progress and development of students from all schools, the PMO has advised taking up some of the elements from Sainik School model. Last year, October, during the 64th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the idea first took its roots in the presence of the NDA-II government. CABE is the highest advisory body that guides the central government and states on matters pertaining to education.
Minister of State for HRD Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey emphasized in the CABE meeting about the important role military education could play for students to inculcate patriotism and nationalism. Using Nalanda University’s example, he stated that even if 2,000 of the 10,000 students at the university were trained in military education, Bakhtiyar Khilji’s plan would have been foiled and seixed to make the rupture it did.
Madhya Pradesh’s education minister said that more Sainik Schools should be set up by the government as “nationalism and patriotism is the need of the hour” at the CABE meeting.
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