RSS, Hindutva groups granted permission to run 40 Sainik Schools during 2022-23
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At least 40 Sainik School agreements awarded between 2022 and 2023, following the BJP government's decision in 2021 to expand private school participation in the Sainik School program, have been granted to institutions associated with the RSS, BJP, or other Hindutva organizations, as revealed by The Reporters’ Collective analysis based on RTI data.
Sainik Schools, managed by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, have traditionally been institutions aimed at providing quality education while fostering a sense of discipline and patriotism among students. However, the recent decision to award agreements predominantly to institutions linked with Hindutva ideologies has raised eyebrows.
What's particularly striking is that the move did not extend to any private schools run by Christian, Muslim, or other religious minority organizations in India, raising questions about potential biases in the selection process.
Before this shift in policy, the Centre and state governments had been jointly running 33 Sainik Schools. However, in October 2021, the BJP-led government allowed private players to partner with the Sainik Schools Society, ostensibly to expand access to quality education in line with the National Education Policy.
According to The Reporters’ Collective, among the 40 private schools that signed memoranda of agreement with the Sainik Schools Society, 11 are owned or managed by BJP leaders, their trusts, or political allies. Additionally, eight schools have ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP, and its allied organizations. Six schools have affiliations with Hindutva organizations or leaders.
One particularly notable instance is the awarding of Sainik School agreements to Sadhvi Ritambhara’s Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School in Vrindavan and Raj Luxmi Samvid Gurukulam in Solan. These schools, touted as India’s first military schools for girls, are associated with Ritambhara, a key figure in the Hindutva movement and founder of the Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's educational wing, the Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, has also been awarded seven Sainik School agreements, further highlighting the close ties between Hindutva organizations and the education sector.
Critics, including former Lieutenant General Prakash Menon and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, have expressed alarm over the implications of this policy shift. Menon believes that awarding contracts to organizations with clear ideological leanings could impact the character and ethos of the armed forces. And Tharoor, in a statement, called on the Defence Minister to withdraw the policy, labeling it as compromising India's national security and education system.
The decision to align Sainik Schools with Hindutva ideologies has not only sparked outrage but also raised concerns about the future of these institutions and their role in shaping young minds.
