New Delhi, Dec 13 : At least 353 girls have enrolled this year in 33 Sainik Schools, established under the erstwhile pattern in the country, the Parliament was informed on Friday.

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said that in 16 out of the 33 schools, girls have been enrolled to the full capacity of the institution with the biggest batch of 16 female students being taught in Jharkhand's Sainik School, Tilaiya,

The only other erstwhile pattern Sainik School with a capacity of 16 is Sainik School Amaravathinagar in Tamil Nadu but it has two vacant seats as only 14 girls have enrolled in 2024.

All 33 Sainik Schools established under the erstwhile pattern have been made co-educational with effect from academic session 2021-22 to achieve gender equality and to pave the way for induction of women in the armed forces, said the MoS.

MoS Seth said that to encourage girl cadets to join Sainik Schools, wide publicity for admission of girls in existing Sainik Schools has been made and adequate girl cadets' centric infrastructure has been created in existing Sainik Schools.

Replying to a question on setting up new Sainik Schools in partnership mode with NGOs/Trusts/Private/Government Schools, the MoS said there is no restriction on establishing an all-girls or co-ed Sainik School.

Also, there is no bar by the Sainik School Society on the number of girls that can be given admission to the new Sainik Schools.

One school, Samvid Gurukulam Senior Secondary School, Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh has been approved as an all-girls Sainik School.

The MoS said 36 new Sainik Schools which are co-educational, have also been made operational.

In an earlier reply on December 4 in Rajya Sabha, the Defence Ministry had said that all 33 Sainik Schools established under the erstwhile pattern in the country, including the three Sainik Schools at Amethi, Jhansi and Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, are co-educational. The establishment of an all-girls Sainik School under the erstwhile pattern is not under consideration.

/IANS