Jharkhand eyes second Sainik School

Ranchi: The state govt is planning to establish another Sainik School in the state to expand opportunities for students aspiring to join the armed forces. Chief secretary Alka Tiwari on Friday directed the state education department to initiate groundwork for the proposed institution. The department has been asked to identify potential locations and prepare necessary documentation so that a formal proposal can soon be submitted to the Union govt for approval.Currently, the state has only one Sainik School at Tilaiya in Koderma district which was established in 1963. "With 875 enrolled students, Tilaiya's Sainik School has the highest number of students enrolled among all the Sainik Schools across the country. To expand opportunities for the students of the state aspiring to join the armed forces, there is a need of another Sainik School in the state," the chief secretary said, directing the secretary of school education department to initiate groundwork for the proposed institution.Tiwari assured representatives of the existing Sainik School that all basic needs of the school will be met without any negligence, while chairing a meeting on Friday regarding various proposals and issues related to the school. During the meeting, a decision was taken to roll out new water supply project worth Rs 9.49 crore at the school. "The technical approval for this has been received from the department of drinking water and sanitation. Instructions were given to propose the construction of a sewage treatment plant at the school. Additionally, the building construction department was directed to maintain the staff quarters at the school," chief secretary Tiwari said. Meanwhile, the school authority appealed to the state govt to bear the costs of pensions, family pensions, NPS, and other benefits for the school staff, which is estimated to be around Rs 7 crore. In light of this, the chief secretary instructed the school education department to examine the models of Sainik Schools in other states and proceed accordingly.Tiwari directed to conduct annual health check-ups for students in Koderma, which was previously conducted in Hazaribag. Union minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth in April said 100 additional Sainik Schools will be established across the country in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.