The Ministry of Defense will initially provide financial assistance of up to Rs.
Under a new scheme, the defense ministry will provide fee assistance of up to Rs 40,000 per annum to a maximum of 50 students in the 6th class of 100 schools approved by the Sainik School Society, officials said on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the affiliation of 100 schools from the 2022-23 academic year in the public and private sectors with the Sainik School Society under the Ministry of Defense.
Officials said the new school year will begin with the enrollment in 6th grade, the scholarship will be for students enrolled in the first year and fee support for 12th grade students will be gradually increased.
The scheme “provides a merit-based 50 per cent scholarship for 50 per cent of the strength of a class of 50 students per year from class 6 to 12 on a merit basis, subject to an upper limit of Rs 40,000 per annum. – Come-Min Basis”, officials said.
Initially, the total total expenditure for financial assistance will be Rs 20 lakh per class per school per year, officials said, adding that this will result in a grant of Rs 20 crore and Rs 40 crore for the first and 100 schools. Second year respectively.
Officials say the Soldier School Society will ask schools for reasonable fees. Each of the 100 schools in each state will be placed under an existing military school. Currently, 33 military schools are operating across the country. Officials said a retired Armed Forces officer would be involved in running the school at each school and would be similarly involved in conducting ex-servicemen’s drills and conducting various games.
There will be uniformity in the names of the schools and they will have adequate infrastructure in terms of land, buildings and sports facilities. Boarding facilities are not mandatory for students but they are expected to follow a routine of 10 hours per day to engage students in various academic and curricular activities, officials said.
Schools should follow a more general uniform that will be determined by the Soldier School Society, they said. “It is believed that the integration of the military school education system with the regular board plus curriculum is expected to produce academically strong, physically fit, culturally conscious, intellectually skilled and skilled youth,” an official said.
Officials said the Soldier School Society would grant affiliation to interested private and government schools based on certain criteria related to the academic system and infrastructure.
(PTI)