Sainik Schools are managed by the autonomous Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of DefenceBetween 2022 and 2023, the Centre sanctioned agreements for the establishment of 40 Sainik Schools to educational institutions associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindutva organizations, and leaders affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its allies, as revealed through an analysis of Right to Information (RTI) responses by The Reporters’ Collective.
Sainik Schools, managed by the autonomous Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, play a vital role in grooming cadets for enrollment in prestigious military academies such as the National Defence Academy and the Indian Naval Academy. As highlighted in a report from the Parliament’s Standing Committee in 2013-14, nearly 20% of cadets in these academies came from Sainik Schools.
Prior to 2022, Sainik Schools were jointly run by the Centre and state governments. However, in October 2021, the BJP-led Central government permitted private entities to collaborate with the Sainik Schools Society and establish their own branches of Sainik Schools, supported in part financially by the government. This decision was made with the aim of enhancing the quality of education in accordance with the National Education Policy.
According to findings by The Reporters’ Collective, between May 05, 2022, and December 27, 2023, at least 40 private schools entered into memoranda of agreement with the Sainik Schools Society. Among these, 11 schools are owned by BJP leaders, managed by trusts under their purview, or affiliated with individuals who are friends and political allies of the BJP. Eight schools are under the management of the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, and its associated organizations. Six schools have strong affiliations with Hindutva groups or leaders from the far-right and Hindu religious organizations, as outlined by The Reporters’ Collective.
The Centre awarded Sainik School agreements to Hindu nationalist ideologue Ritambhara’s Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School in Vrindavan and Raj Luxmi Samvid Gurukulam in Solan, which are being called first military schools for girls.
Ritambhara founded the Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and played a pivotal role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
The Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, RSS’ educational arm, has been granted seven Sainik School agreements. The organization explicitly aims to “build a younger generation which is committed to Hindutva and infused with patriotic fervour”, as stated on its website.
Nasik’s Bhonsala Military School, established in 1937 by the Hindu right-wing ideologue BS Moonje and currently administered by the Central Hindu Military Education Society, received approval to function as a Sainik School, the report added.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad has alleged that individuals associated with the 2006 Nanded Bomb Blast and the 2008 Malegaon blasts trained at Bhonsala Military School.
“It is obvious, ‘catch them young’ is the concept,” former Lieutenant General Prakash Menon told The Reporters’ Collective. “Not good for the armed forces.”
Menon expressed concern that allocating contracts to such organizations could potentially influence the character and values upheld by the armed forces.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to withdraw the policy.
“How on earth can this shameless government compromise India’s national security and its education system in this manner,” the Thiruvanthapuram MP said in a post on X.
“The Agniveer scheme is already an assault on the professionalism of our armed forces. Now this compounds the shocking disregard for the standards that have made our sainiks among the most respected in the world,” he added.