UP's first Sainik School opens doors for girls

DNA photo

LUCKNOW: In a first, as many as 15 girls got admitted a Uttar Pradesh-based Sainik School for the academic year 2018-19. Coming from different family backgrounds, the girls took admission in Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey Uttar Pradesh Sainik School.

There were 2,500 aspirants out of which only 15 could manage to get through.

School principal Col Amit Chatterjee said the girl students will undergo a strenuous routine beginning with PT exercises at 6 AM every day and then get ready for assembly prayers at 8.15 AM.

"After classes, they will return to their hostel and after a brief rest, participate in sporting events, before taking up studies at 7 PM," he told PTI.

Asked how the girls felt in their new environment, Col Chatterjee said, "They feel very proud to be part of the institution. They aspire to become famous one day in life."

The school's registrar Lt Col Uday Pratap Singh said, "Out of the 2,500 girls who appeared in the entrance examination, 15 were selected based on the results of the written examination and interviews. All these girls have been selected for class 9 for the academic year 2018-19."

"The girls hail from different family backgrounds like doctors, teachers, police officers and even agriculturists," he said.

The proposal to include girl students was sent to the Uttar Pradesh government in 2017.

"The existing infrastructure of the school has been improved for the 15 girl students using our own resources. One of the boys hostel has been vacated to accommodate the girls," he said.

The registrar exuded confidence that other Sainik Schools in the country will also emulate this example.

(With PTI inputs)