New committee constituted to examine working of Sainik Schools

Scarcely eight months since sweeping reforms were instituted in October 2024, the Maharashtra school education department has constituted a new, seven-member committee to examine the working of the state's Sainik Schools and review the revised policy.

A government alert in this matter was released on June 20, 2025 by the school education and sports department. The initiative comes in wake of growing concerns over the poor percentage of students from the state's 38 Sainik Schools getting selected for the National Defence Academy (NDA), the elite defence training institute based at Khadakwasla near Pune.

Deputy secretary of Maharashtra school education and sports department, Sameer Sawant, stated that a choice to introduce one Sainik School offering military education in every district had been made by way of a government resolution (GR) on September 26, 1995. According to this policy, 38 such schools are now functioning in the state. Nonetheless, these institutions have failed to meet desired standards.

Sawant explained, "The terms of work for the new committee have been set as a visit to the Sainik Schools, a study of the current scenario, recommending required changes in the revised policy, and proposing steps to augment representation from the Sainik Schools of the state."

Last month, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered the constitution of a state-level committee to bring about further educational reforms in military schools. "The Sainik School policy was initiated in order to ensure greater students from Maharashtra take part in the NDA selection process, and to develop discipline, confidence, teamwork, and leadership among them. But there have been long-standing calls for the schools to improve," Fadnavis had stated while presiding over a meeting on reforms in military schools.

School education minister Dadaji Bhuse also assured that the government is keen to offer quality education in these institutions (Sainik Schools). "The committee should conduct on-the-spot visits to the schools, study the issues confronting them, and their requirements in detail, and file a detailed report within the given time period," Bhuse said.

A post-policy review inspection on October 9, 2024, revealed that many Sainik Schools are not living up to basic standards. Most students are not being provided with proper military training and guidance—factors that are instrumental in NDA preparation.