Sainik School Imphal - An inside story

Manoj Sapkal *

Cadets of Sainik School who have cleared the written examination for the NDA on November 26 2011 :: Pix - TSE

In November 2011, Sainik School Imphal proudly announced the highest passed percentage (78%) ever achieved by the school as 18 of its Cadets out of 23 (only!) Cadets studying in class XII had passed the UPSC written examination for entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA).

However the school is yet to declare the dismal singular figure of only one Cadet who have finally made it to the NDA. A closer look into the affairs of the school revealed that all is not well in every sphere of activity in its sprawling 300 acre campus.

First, a query on why only 23 boys remained in class XII in the school revealed that last year there were 47 (forty-seven) boys in class XI out of which 24 boys were denied promotion to class XII as the school felt that they were low in merit and will bring bad results in class XII board examination.

Hence only 23 boys who were expected to perform well in class XII board exam as well as NDA were promoted to class XII. The 24 boys were issued TC on the ground of low merit and migrated to other schools in Imphal and continued to study in class XII.

Surprisingly, the highest mark scored in the class XII board exam 2012 by the 23 boys who remained in the school is 82.6% in aggregate which is much lower than the lowest mark scored by the 24 boys withdrawn from the school which is 86 %, the highest being 97% in aggregate!

Second, this year again 19 boys from class XI have been denied promotion to class XII and withdrawn from the school on the similar grounds of low in merit.

Third, the results of class X CBSE board exam was declared on 24 May 2012 and the final list of students approved by the school for promotion to class XI was declared on 16 June 2012 i.e. a good 20 days after the declaration of class X board exam results.

The delay has posed a lot of problems for 14 boys who have been denied promotion to class XI on medical grounds and another 6 boys on disciplinary grounds as admissions to class XI in the other school had already closed by then. The reason by the school for the delay is that the medical test of the boys have delayed the compilation of final list of boys to be retained in class XI.

The questions are :-

(1). If a medical test is mandatory to decide whether a boy is fit for NDA and subsequently promoted to class XI, then why was the medical test conducted only after the declaration of the class X board exam results?

(2). If only those boys who are found medically fit to join NDA are to be promoted to class XI, then where is the guarantee that they all will definitely join NDA, if the school cannot give any such guarantee then what difference does it make if a boy is medically fit to join NDA or not ?

(3). If the Six other boys were to be withdrawn on disciplinary ground, why were they made to undergo medical fitness test ?

(4). Further even a closer look reveals that all the boys found medically unfit/ indiscipline have scored comparatively less marks in class X board exam hence probably the school feels that these boys are not expected to fair well in future.

Lastly, the biggest question being posed is - Is Sainik School Imphal becoming a filtering machinery to show good performance of only a handful of boys for launching the careers of officers at the cost of the future of many boys? It is for the people and Government of Manipur to judge.