Kerala's General Education Minister, V Sivankutty, in a letter to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had addressed his qualms over an alleged politicisation of Sainik Schools.
According to a statement released by Minister Sivankutty's office on Friday, April 5, the minister conveyed that handing over the operation of Sainik Schools to organisations with political ties could threaten the independence and transparency of these institutions, stated a PTI report.
"Sainik Schools are important institutions for future defence personnel and therefore, should not be dragged into politics at any level. For this reason, I request you to maintain the reputation of these establishments to guarantee national security and ensure fairness in education," the minister stated in his letter.
Report reveals that...
Recently, The Reporters' Collective, an online media platform, revealed that 62% of the new Sainik Schools were allocated to individuals connected with Sangh Parivar and politicians affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, PTI reported.
The Communist Party of India's (Marxist) (CPI(M)) national leadership, with the help of the report, alleged that many private institutions partnering with the Sainik School Society have links to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP.
The Left party criticised the government for allowing private entities to operate Sainik Schools, denouncing it as a reinforcement of the "communalisation of education." They further expressed that this move could compromise the "high secular standards" of the military establishment.
Defence Ministry rejects allegations
The Defense Ministry dismissed the report and said that a rigorous selection process was followed to determine the institutions entrusted with operating the new Sainik Schools., according to a PTI report.
"Attempts to politicise or distort the objectives and implementation of the scheme by casting aspersions on it are unwarranted and misleading," the ministry had added.
