I was present in Kapurthala in summer of 1961, when Late KV Krishna Menon and then Punjab CM Pratap Singh Kairon inagurated first Saink School with lot of fun fare. I was a young boy of 9 years then. Defence Officers career was second to none, not even to IAS.
Today 47 years later I am in IT industry after taking premature retirement from Defence in disgust. Defence is no more a rewarding career either in terms of Money nor status it used to enjoy with respect to other Services. In other words, we have let down this important arm of the Union. Young students do not aspire to be in Defence and those within want to come out at first opportunity.
Sainik School malasie is another symptom, how we treat Defence. It is no vote catching machine. Therfore it is importnat to improve Sainik Schools but more importnat to make Defence as a career second to none and which every body will aspire to join.
It will be better to stop grants to institutions where students run away to forigen lands without contributing to own motherland, rather than squezee grants to Sainik School, whose officers will make utmost sacrifice for nation.
