India's first military girls' school opens for equal opportunity defence

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inaugurated the Sanik School, a girls' school, in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.

The minister praised the opening of the Military Academy as a source of motivation for young girls who aspire to serve in the armed forces and defend their country.

The Sainik School for Girls has an enrollment of about 870 students and is the flagship of a major effort to establish 100 new Sainik Schools in collaboration with NGOs, private organizations and government schools across states and union territories.

The Ministry of Education announced that these new branches will further expand the network from the previous model and complement the existing 33 Sainik schools.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Sainik School for Girls at Samvid Gurukulam, Singh noted that due to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has rightly restored the status of women, who were neglected for years in the armed forces. In 2019, Singh approved phased admission of girls to Sainik schools from the 2021-2022 academic session.

Singh described the admission of girls to the Sainik School as a golden moment in the history of women's empowerment, stressing that women have equal rights to defend the country as men.

"Today, our women not only fly our fighter jets but also protect our borders," Singh added.