Sainik schools involve strict selection process: Centre counters Kharge

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has denied the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s allegation of what he claimed the Centre’s move to "privatise" and ‘politicise’ Sainik schools.

Kharge earlier in a letter to President of India Droupadi Murmu demanded rollback of the Centre’s alleged moves, adding that 62 per cent of the privatised Sainik schools belong to leaders of the BJP and RSS, he wrote referring to a RTI reply.

The Ministry of Defence in a press release claimed that the system involves a strict selection process.

‘The political or ideological affiliation or otherwise of the applicant institution does not influence the selection process. Attempts to politicize or distort the objectives and implementation of the scheme by casting aspersions on it, are unwarranted and misleading,’ the ministry was quoted as stating.

However, Kharge in his letter said that Indian democracy in the past has kept armed forces away from the partisan politics and shadows of any political ideologies.

"Indian Democracy has conventionally kept our Armed Forces away from any partisan politics. In the past successive Indian governments kept Armed Forces and its affiliate institutions away from shadows of varying political ideologies", the letter reportedly read.

Kharge alleged that the Union government has breached ‘ this well enshrined convention’ and accused it of dealing a body blow to the ‘ nature and ethos of the Armed Forces’.’

‘ Imparting ideologically slanted knowledge in such institutions shall not only destroy inclusiveness but also damage the national character of the Sainik Schools, by influencing their character through partisan religious/corporate/family/social/cultural credos,’ Kharge reportedly wrote.

Further Kharge pointed out that of the 40 MoUs signed under the Public-Private Partnership Agreement system initiated in 2021, ‘62% have been signed with individuals & organizations belonging to the RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar’.

Adding further he said: ‘This includes a Chief Minister's family, several MLAs, BJP office-bearers and RSS leaders’.

However, the ministry in the note said the government introduced the scheme of setting up 100 schools in partnership with NGOs/State Govt/Private Sector, adding that approval has been given to only 45 schools from 500 applications following rigorous selection process.