Colonel Seema Mishra Appointed as First Female Principal of Captain Manoj Pandey UP Sainik School
Colonel Seema Mishra has been appointed as the principal of Captain Manoj Pandey UP Sainik School in Lucknow, marking the first time a woman will lead the country's oldest Sainik School. The Uttar Pradesh government issued her appointment orders on Wednesday after significant advocacy and intervention by the Army to finalize the long-awaited decision.
With this new order, Colonel Rajesh Raghav, who has held the principal position since January 2021, will be relieved of his duties.
According to officials, the Ministry of Defence had previously proposed three serving officers for the principal role. The selection committee, led by the Chief Secretary, approved Colonel Seema Mishra, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath endorsing the selection.
An experienced officer from the Army Education Corps, Colonel Mishra has previously served as Vice-Principal at Sainik School Kapurthala and is currently stationed with an AEC unit in Ambala.
The process for appointing a new principal accelerated after the Army issued a suo motu transfer order for Colonel Raghav, following multiple unsuccessful attempts to prompt the state government to release him or appoint a successor.
Colonel Mishra's personal history adds to her inspiring journey. Her husband, Colonel Nitish Rai of the Bihar Regiment, sacrificed his life in 2010 during a UN peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra for bravery after saving numerous lives during a bombing near the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
The Defence Ministry had requested Colonel Raghav's release nearly two years ago, proposing a panel that included Colonel Seema Mishra, Colonel Vikas Samyal, and Colonel Kamal Kapoor. Although Colonel Kapoor has since been assigned to the Northern Command, the selection committee chose Colonel Mishra to lead this esteemed institution.
Colonel Mishra's appointment represents another notable milestone for the UP Sainik School, which began admitting female cadets in 2018.
