Maharashtra Government Pressures Sainik Schools to Enhance NDA Entrance Success Rates
The government of Maharashtra has issued a stern directive to government-aided Sainik Schools within the state, mandating them to enhance their students' success rates in the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance examinations or risk losing state assistance. This action follows concerns over the declining admissions to the NDA from these military-focused educational institutions. To address this issue, the government has established a seven-member expert committee tasked with reviewing current policies and suggesting improvements.
Chaired by Anil Sable, the Deputy Director of the State Secondary and Higher Secondary Board, the committee includes representatives from prominent institutions such as Sainik School Satara and Bhonsla Military School in Nagpur.
In Maharashtra, there are two state-run Sainik Schools—Satara, founded in 1961, and Chandrapur, opened in 2019—and 38 government-aided, privately operated Sainik schools, which together educate approximately 12,400 students. These schools are designed to prepare students for careers in the Indian Armed Forces, with entry into the NDA in Pune serving as a key measure of their success. Despite this objective, only a few schools regularly send students to the NDA, and even the flagship school in Satara has experienced a recent decline in its performance, despite historically producing about 750 officers.
The private-aided model was introduced in 1995 to broaden the Sainik school network. However, many institutions within this framework have not met their primary goals. A revised policy, enforced in October 2024, now obliges all eligible students to sit for the NDA exam and requires schools to provide necessary infrastructure and coaching support. In exchange, land grants—some as large as 30 acres—have been awarded to 12 schools on the condition that they consistently produce NDA qualifiers.
If schools fail to meet these expectations under the new policy, they may lose their Sainik school status and funding, become private unaided schools, or have their land reclaimed by the government. While underscoring accountability, the government has also pledged to listen to the difficulties faced by school operators. The expert panel will consult with stakeholders to identify what additional support might be required to enhance outcomes.
The committee's findings are expected to inform a revised strategy aimed at boosting Maharashtra's contributions to the NDA and enhancing national defense readiness.
