Anil Kumar is partially right. Sainik Schools not acting as feeder units for the Defence Academies has nothing to do with the fee structure. There are tens of thousands of aspirants vying to enter Sainik Schools. Coaching centres for the entrance exams are mushrooming. The fee is pittance when compared to the quality of education and training provided by the Schools. I am from the first batch of Sainik School Korukonda. Admitted that there is deterioration in the standards due to raising costs. The actual deterioration is in the mindset. The youth today see a career in the Defence Services most unattractive. Thanks to the Bureaucracy,they are hell bent on destroying the Defence Services further. Sixth pay commission is a case in point. Coming back to the schools, in Andhra, the school has become an excellent place for quality subsidized education to coach them for EAMCET exams. Even if the student has enjoyed full scholorship, there is no enforcible contract for willfully failing to qualify in the NDA entrance exam. The whole problem started with change in entry level to NDA from Matric to 10 2. Earlier a cadet had three chances to appear before he passed out from Sainik School. The Principal had a little control. Now, a cadet scoots from the school after he appears for the NDA exam and wilfully fails.
The only way to control and improve the entry to NDA is to reimburse the entire cost of Sainik School education to a student who joins the Academy and NO FREE SCHOLOSHIPS.
