Army-backed Sainik school coaching opens doors for remote Arunachal students

Efforts to bridge educational gaps in Arunachal Pradesh’s remote border districts are gaining ground, with a focused initiative by the Indian Army’s Spear Corps offering a new path to students aspiring for Sainik School admission.

The governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik, met students from the districts of Kurung Kumey and Upper Subansiri on Monday at Raj Bhavan and urged them to embrace discipline, reading habits, and physical fitness as keys to personal and academic growth. The students, hailing from Sarli, Taksing, and Daporijo, are part of a coaching programme run under the Army’s Operation Sadbhavana.

The initiative aims to prepare children from remote and often inaccessible villages for the All India Sainik School Entrance Examination. Of the 65 students who were initially screened, 32 were selected for intensive coaching — notably, 21 of them are girls. The programme includes subject-specific tutorials, baseline assessments, and frequent evaluations, with logistical support provided to manage travel and documentation.

Parnaik, himself an alumnus of Sainik School from the 1962 batch, underscored the transformative role these institutions play in shaping disciplined, educated, and service-oriented citizens. He described the programme as a model of civil-military cooperation that offers tangible empowerment to youth living along the state’s border regions.

Reflecting on his 2008 visit to the same areas during his tenure as Corps Commander, the governor noted visible development and growing aspirations among local communities. He commended the Indian Army’s sustained outreach and called the coaching initiative a vital step in integrating remote populations into mainstream educational and national development efforts. (PTI)