Union govt hands over 62% of new Sainik Schools to RSS, BJP leaders: Report
The Reporters’ Collective has revealed in a report that 62 per cent of the new Sainik Schools have been awarded to entities affiliated with the Sangh Parivar, BJP politicians and their allies, based on information compiled from Union government press releases and Right to Information (RTI) responses.
This marks the first instance in the history of the Sainik School education system where private entities have been permitted to affiliate with the Sainik School Society (SSS), receive “part financial support” and operate their branches, the Collective observed.
In 2021, the Union government introduced a policy allowing private entities to manage Sainik Schools in India. This initiative was announced in the annual budget, with plans to establish 100 new Sainik Schools across the country.
On October 12, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a cabinet meeting that approved a proposal to operate these schools “as an exclusive vertical, distinct and separate from existing Sainik Schools of MoD.”
As per the policy, the government provides an annual fee support of 50 per cent of the fee (up to Rs 40,000 per annum for 50 per cent of the class strength, subject to an upper limit of 50 students per class) per year from classes 6 to 12, based on the merit-cum-means criteria. This amounts to a maximum support of Rs 1.2 crore per annum per school for schools offering classes up to the 12th standard.
Additionally, schools receive other incentives, such as an annual training grant of Rs 10 lakh based on the academic performance of students in class 12.
However, despite government support and incentives, The Reporters’ Collective found a significant disparity in the annual fees for senior secondary education across the new Sainik Schools, ranging from a nominal Rs 13,800 to as high as Rs. 2,47,900 per year.
