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In this undated picture is seen students from remote area attending the motivation camp organised by the Assam Rifles for admission to Sainik School.[/caption]
Dimapur, Jan. 15 (EMN): School is a place where quality education and all round development is imparted to a child. However, in Nagaland, not many schools play that role as quality residential schools are almost non-existent in Nagaland.
Sainik School Punglwa, is one school that provides quality education to students in Nagaland. Sainik School Punglwa was founded in May 2007 as the 22nd in the country. The school aims to remove regional and urban-rural imbalance in the officer cadre of the defence services and also develop attributes of body, mind, and character to enable young boys of Nagaland become good citizens.
A statement from the PRO HQ IGAR (N) stated that while the academic, sports, and extra-curricular curriculum at Sainik School Punglwa was possibly the best in Nagaland, it was a concern that many children were not seeking admission to the school. The statement mentioned that the reason could be due the lack of awareness-cum-coaching facilities for the entrance exams corroborating with high fee structure.
According to the note, the school authorities, being concerned with the decreasing number of students in Sainik School, Punglwa, decided to seek the help of the Inspector General Assam Rifles North (IGAR-N) to help address the matter. The school authorities felt that IGAR-N with presence encompassing pan Nagaland could tide over the potential crisis.
Agreeing to the proposal, it stated that IGAR (N) began scouting potential students for Sainik School Punglwa in early September 2018. Having identified over 150 students from Nagaland, various battalions of IGAR (N) began coaching and preparing them for the entrance exams that was to be held in January 2019.
The entrance exams to Sainik School, Punglwa was held on January 6, during which a total of 132 students from Nagaland appeared the exams. In 2018, only 43 students appeared the entrance exams, which indicated a quantum rise of over 300 % of aspirants in Sainik School Punglwa from Nagaland.
The statement added that Assam Rifles is also planning to financially sponsor some of the economically weaker students who would be admitted to the school as well as to those having the potential of becoming officers in the Indian Defence Forces under various civic action projects of the Assam Rifles.
Sainik schools were started with the aim of preparing boys academically, physically, and mentally for entry into the National Defence Academy thereby enabling them to become officers in the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy. The first of its kind began its academic session in June 1961 at Satara (Maharashtra) and ever since then Sainik schools have been instituted in all the states of India.
